<p>They said the beneficial effect of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the class of drug that includes Prozac, is independent of the effect on depression, a common response to having a stroke, the journal The Lancet Neurology reports.<br /><br />The pills boost serotonin levels and other compounds in the central nervous system which, it is thought, improves nerve growth, according to the Daily Mail.<br /><br />The study investigated the use of SSRIs in stroke after mounting evidence from smaller trials that they improve motor and cognitive functions.<br /><br />The team from the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, looked at 118 patients five to 10 days after a stroke. Half were given 20 mg of Prozac, while the others got a dummy pill.<br /><br />Depression was significantly less common in patients on Prozac, suggesting it could prevent the condition if given early after a stroke, said lead researcher Francois Chollet.<br /><br />All patients, who had moderate to severe movement problems, also received physiotherapy.<br />Greater improvements in motor function were found after three months in patients on Prozac, with a 50 percent increase in scores used to measure recovery.<br /><br />Importantly, this gain was significant for both the upper and lower limbs, as paralysis and weakness on one side of the body are the most common disabilities left after a stroke.</p>
<p>They said the beneficial effect of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the class of drug that includes Prozac, is independent of the effect on depression, a common response to having a stroke, the journal The Lancet Neurology reports.<br /><br />The pills boost serotonin levels and other compounds in the central nervous system which, it is thought, improves nerve growth, according to the Daily Mail.<br /><br />The study investigated the use of SSRIs in stroke after mounting evidence from smaller trials that they improve motor and cognitive functions.<br /><br />The team from the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, looked at 118 patients five to 10 days after a stroke. Half were given 20 mg of Prozac, while the others got a dummy pill.<br /><br />Depression was significantly less common in patients on Prozac, suggesting it could prevent the condition if given early after a stroke, said lead researcher Francois Chollet.<br /><br />All patients, who had moderate to severe movement problems, also received physiotherapy.<br />Greater improvements in motor function were found after three months in patients on Prozac, with a 50 percent increase in scores used to measure recovery.<br /><br />Importantly, this gain was significant for both the upper and lower limbs, as paralysis and weakness on one side of the body are the most common disabilities left after a stroke.</p>