Role of fluoxetine in pharmacological enhancement of motor functions in stroke patients: A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind trial

Background: Stroke is the primary cause of disability worldwide, the second most common cause of dementia and the third leading cause of death. Only few studies were conducted to study the role of fluoxetine in motor recovery in either ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke patients with probably less severe paresis. However, the current study evaluates both the effectiveness and safety of fluoxetine in the stroke population with a more severe motor deficit. Methods: Patients who had acute or subacute stroke with hemiparesis and aged between 18 and 80 years with medical research council (MRC) scale score