After a stroke: Prozac helps to recover mobility

Fluoxetine (Prozac and generics), administered early after a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), improves the recovery of patients with hemiplegia following their stroke, a study by French researchers says.

The results of the clinical trial, called FLAME, conducted by a team of INSERM in Toulouse, led by François Chollet, which mark a new advance in the treatment of stroke, appear Monday in the journal Lancet Neurology.

Stroke, mainly due to blockage of a vessel in the brain (ischemia), are the third cause of mortality and the second cause of disability in adults in France (about 130,000 new cases/year). They can cause hemiplegia (paralysis of half the body) and hemiparesis (weakness of half the body).

Functional recovery unpredictable

Between March 2005 and June 2009, 118 patients hospitalized in nine hemiplegic stroke units in France took 20 mg of fluoxetine per day (59 patients) or placebo (59 patients) for three months after stroke. All have received rehabilitation. The assessment of motor function, performed at the beginning and after three months of treatment included the realization of simple movements (flexion and extension of the fingers, wrist, foot, etc.). And more complex gestures (putting his hand in back, grab an object, etc..).

In the days and months following the accident, patients recover some of their capacities spontaneously, but the magnitude of this functional recovery remains unpredictable. However, according to researchers, improving the traction was "more important" for patients on fluoxetine compared with placebo. This gain was present at the motor recovery of arm and leg. In general, the regression of the paralysis was higher in patients taking fluoxetine.

Independent daily in daily living

After three months of treatment, patients again become independent in daily living (walking, toilet, common gestures, movements, etc..) They were more numerous among those treated with Prozac. Side effects were limited to: gastrointestinal disorders patients were observed more frequently on Prozac, but the occurrence of depression was more common in patients on placebo, suggesting that fluoxetine may prevent depressive syndromes occurring after stroke, the researchers said.

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