Prozac Can Prevent Paralysis In Stroke Patients--study

SSRIs like Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft have been known to enhance motor skill recovery after stroke.

Prozac can relieve mood symptoms and help neurons to re-establish connections in the brain of stroke patients, speeding their recovery, the study suggests.

The authors, led by Professor Franois Chollet, said, "The positive effect of the drug on motor function of recovering patients suggests that the... action of SSRIs provides a new pathway that should be explored further in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke."

118 stroke patients studied

The study, conducted between March 2005 and June 2009, looked at 118 ischemic stroke patients from France in order to analyze improvements in stroke patients having Prozac.

The participants were divided into 2 groups on a random basis. While the first group was administered 20 milligrams of Prozac for a period of three months, starting at 5-10 days after stroke onset, the other was given a placebo.

Physical therapy was provided to all the study participants.

The study results

By the end of the study period lasting for 90 days, the Prozac group participants reported a 34 points improvement on a 100-point stroke symptom scale while the participants in the placebo group revealed a 24-point improvement.

The participants who were given Prozac were also less depressed and were much more independent than the placebo group patients.

Roger Bonomo, director of stroke care at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York, said, "Depression after stroke is a common enough complication to have raised the question of treating with antidepressants early after stroke.If motor function is also more likely to improve, then treating before symptoms of depression emerge is likely to be even more beneficial."

Regular use of SSRI antidepressant medications can be highly beneficial for such patients needing constant support even to get out of bed, researchers claimed.

Were not talking about a couple of points on the scale as happens in Alzheimers disease where the improvement in barely noticeable, said Robinson, who co-authored an editorial on the study.

Were talking about patients who are a whole category improved. Were talking about clinically and significantly bigger improvement for the patient and their family.

The study has been published in 'The Lancet Neurology' journal Monday.

by: Priyanka Verma

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