Trial results fail to support fluoxetine for stroke recovery
But specialists in neurorehabilitation suggest better-designed studies could yield a different outcome
Data from three similar trials of daily fluoxetine for functional recovery after stroke provide compelling evidence that the agent should not be routinely prescribed after acute stroke, researchers say.
Results of the AFFINITY trial, which included 532 Australians with stroke, 42 patients from New Zealand and 706 from Vietnam, showed no difference in outcomes on the modified Rankin Scale six months post-stroke for patients randomised to 20mg fluoxetine daily compared with those on placebo.
Participants had a mean age of