Stroke: After a stroke, what is the effect of fluoxetine treatment for 12 months?

In 2011, the FLAME trial (Fluoxetine for Motor Recovery After Acute Ischemic Stroke) reported that fluoxetine can enhance exercise recovery after acute ischemic stroke

Cochrane systematically reviewed 4,059 patients in a randomized controlled trial of 52 SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) in the treatment of stroke rehabilitation.

In 2020, the authors of EFFECTS (Efficacy of Fluoxetine-a Randomised Controlled Trial in Stroke) reported that after acute stroke, taking 20 mg of fluoxetine once a day for 6 months, compared with placebo, there is no improvement for 6 months The functional outcome, although the incidence of depression decreased, the incidence of fractures and hypotension increased

EFFECTS included 1,500 stroke patients from Sweden , and the results were similar to those of two other large randomized controlled trials with similar designs

In accordance with the protocol and statistical analysis plan, Erik Lundstr.

Between 2014 and 2019, 1,500 patients were recruited from 35 centers in Sweden; 750 were assigned to fluoxetine and 750 were assigned to placebo

The category distribution of the revised Rankin scale was similar in the two groups (adjusted common probability, 0.

Compared with placebo, patients assigned to fluoxetine scored worse on memory, P=0.

The important significance of this study is that it found that fluoxetine has no effect on the 12-month functional outcome after acute stroke