Prozac Aids Recovery from Stroke    • Share   • Read Later Craig
Zuckerman  A new study finds that Prozac can significantly
improve recovery from stroke— the number one cause of adult
disability and the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The
randomized controlled trial found that while patients given
placebo for three months starting 5-10 days after a stroke
improved 24 points on a 100 point scale that measures
functioning, those given the antidepressant improved by 34
points.  All patients were given standard physical therapy to
aid recovery from weakness and paralysis caused by the stroke.
The study included 118 patients— all of whom started out below
55 on that scale after surviving a stroke linked to a blood clot
in the brain. That form of stroke—known technically as an
ischemic stroke— is the most common type in the U.S. The
improvement is large enough that for some patients, it could
make a difference in their ability to live independently. The
research was published in the journal Lancet Neurolo