Stroke recovery boosted by a course of Prozac

"Giving stroke patients Prozac soon after the event could help their recovery from paralysis, a study has found. Researchers discovered more improvement in movement and greater independence after three months in patients taking the antidepressant (also known as fluoxetine), compared to placebo. The Lancet Neurology study was based on research on 118 patients in France. UK stroke experts said the findings were "promising". This was the largest study of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and stroke recovery to date. Tests on stroke patients 90 days after being given the drug found that patients taking fluoxetine had gained significantly more function in their upper and lower limbs than patients who were not given the drug. Patients in the fluoxetine group were also more likely to be coping independently. All patients in the study had moderate to severe motor disabilities following their stroke" - BBC