Issue: April 2010
April 01, 2010
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Study finds escitalopram can help improve cognitive function after stroke

Issue: April 2010
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The administration of escitalopram, according to study results published in the Annals of General Psychiatry, was associated with an improvement in cognitive function after stroke.

From July 2003 to October 2007, researchers treated 129 patients between the ages of 50 and 90 years within three months of a stroke and followed them for 12 months. Patients were divided into three arms: a double-blinded comparison of escitalopram (Lexapro, Forest Laboratories; n=43) with placebo (n=45) arm and a nonblinded arm of problem-solving therapy (n=41). The researchers specifically examined the effect of escitalopram treatment on cognitive recovery after stroke.

Compared with patients who received placebo or underwent problem-solving therapy, patients who received escitalopram scored higher on psychological tests assessing global cognitive functioning, specifically neurological measures probing visual and verbal memory. The researchers noted that these higher scores translated into improvement in activities of daily living. Treatment effects in other neuropsychological measures were not noted. Before treatment, there were no differences in scores of neuropsychological tests probing memory and executive functioning among the three groups.

The researchers also noted that there was no difference between the groups concerning changes in occupational levels after stroke. Eight patients in the placebo group, five patients in the escitalopram group and five patients in the problem-solving therapy group had worse occupational levels after stroke. Two patients who received escitalopram improved their occupational level. – by Lisa Chamberlain

Jorge R. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67:187-196.