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Posted on Sep 30, 2002, 6 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A drug that has been on the market for 30 years, can significantly improve speech recovery in stroke patients. Researchers at the Max-Planck Institute for Neurological Damage found that piracetam, an aminobutyric acid derivative, improved the patients written language and comprehension significantly when compared to patients given a placebo.
A drug that has been on the market for 30 years, can significantly improve speech recovery in stroke patients. Researchers at the Max-Planck Institute for Neurological Damage found that piracetam, an aminobutyric acid derivative, improved the patients written language and comprehension significantly when compared to patients given a placebo. The researchers randomly picked 24 patients with poststroke aphasia, half were given a placebo, and the other 2400mg piracetam for 6 weeks. Both groups continued with standard rehabilitation therapy. Josef Kessler, research leader, said, This study indicates a need for a larger investigation of piracetam in stroke.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Stroke 2000; 31: 2112-2116
