Fluoxetine on Motor Rehabilitation After Ischemic Stroke
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Recovery from stroke is a major process and, except for acute intravenous thrombolysis, no
treatment able to enhance recovery has yet been validated. Some drugs may have a positive
effect when combined with physical rehabilitation. Previous studies have shown a potential
effect of catecholaminergic drugs on cerebral plasticity of stroke patients. In 2001, our
group has demonstrated in a small group of stroke patients (n=8) that a single dose of
fluoxetine (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor - SSRI) improved motor performance and
modulated cerebral plasticity. We conducted a phase IIb prospective, double-blind,
randomized, placebo controlled study to assess the effect of a daily treatment with fluoxetin
(20 mg) on motor performance in patients with mild to severe motor deficit after ischemic
stroke.