Long-Term Antidepressant Treatment with Moclobemide for Aphasia in Acute Stroke Patients: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Vol. 19, No. 2, 2005

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Original Paper

Long-Term Antidepressant Treatment with Moclobemide for Aphasia in Acute Stroke Patients: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
A.C. Laska^a, M. von Arbin^a, T. Kahan^a, A. Hellblom^b, V. Murray^a

^aDivision of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital and
^bDepartment of Speech Pathology, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Address of Corresponding Author

Cerebrovasc Dis 2005;19:125-132 (DOI: 10.1159/000083256)

Key Words

Aphasia
Stroke
Antidepressant treatment
Moclobemide

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Pharmacotherapy aimed at stroke rehabilitation through direct central nervous effects may be assumed to work in a similar way for language recovery and sensory-motor recovery. Some data suggest that antidepressant drugs could be beneficial also for functional improvement. This prompted us to investigate whether regression from aphasia after acute stroke could be enhanced by antidepressive drug therapy. Methods: We randomised 90 acute stroke patients with aphasia to either 600 mg moclobemide or placebo daily for 6 months, within 3 weeks of the onset of stroke. Aphasia was assessed prior to treatment and at 6 months, using Reinvang's 'Grunntest for afasi' and the Amsterdam-Nijmegen-Everyday-Language-Test (ANELT). Result: The degree of aphasia decreased significantly at 6 months, with no difference between the moclobemide- and the placebo-treated groups. Multivariate regression analysis including treatment group, activities of daily living, aetiology of stroke, ANELT, and Reinvang's coefficient at baseline, and neurological deficit confirmed these results. In all, 13 in the moclobemide and 10 in the placebo group stopped taking the study medication. No further change was found in the 56 aphasic patients followed up for another 6 months with no medication. Conclusions: Compared to placebo, treatment with moclobemide for 6 months did not enhance the regression of aphasia following an acute stroke.

Author Contacts

Ann Charlotte Laska, MD
Division of Internal Medicine
Karolinska Institutet Danderyd Hospital
SE-182 88 Stockholm (Sweden)
Tel. +46 8 655 5000, Fax +46 8 622 6810, E-Mail ann-charlotte.laska@ds.se

Article Information

Received: May 13, 2004
Accepted: August 11, 2004
Published online: January 11, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 23

Medline Abstract (ID 15644624)

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