Depression Pills May Help Stroke Recovery

A pill used to treat depression may also help people move better after a stroke, a small study suggests. The study included 118 people. All had suffered the type of stroke caused by a blood clot. They were either paralyzed or weaker on one side of the body. Researchers gave them scores based on tests of body movement. People were randomly divided into two groups. One group took fluoxetine for 3 months. This drug is best known by the brand name Prozac. The other group took placebo (fake) pills. Everyone got physical therapy. Scores on movement tests rose by 34 points in the fluoxetine group. The increase was 24 points for the placebo group. One expert interviewed by HealthDay News said the drug may help build new connections in the brain. Another expert noted that there was less depression in this group. Better mood could help people stick with physical therapy.