You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Therapeutics
Levodopa plus carbidopa before physiotherapy increased motor recovery after stroke

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebm.7.2.47

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    (2001) Lancet 358, 787. Scheidtmann K, Fries W, Müller F. , et al. . Effect of levodopa in combination with physiotherapy on functional motor recovery after stroke: a prospective, randomised, double-blind study.. Sep 8;. :. –90.
    OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science

    
 
 QUESTION: In patients who had a stroke, is levodopa more effective than placebo, when given before physiotherapy sessions, for enhancing motor recovery?

    Design

    Randomised (unclear allocation concealment*), blinded (participants, healthcare providers, and outcome assessors),* placebo controlled trial with 6 weeks of follow up.

    Setting

    A rehabilitation hospital in Germany.

    Patients

    53 patients who had a stroke 3 weeks to 6 months before randomisation and a radiologically verified thromboembolic brain infarction. Exclusion criteria were depression according to Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV criteria or treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants. 47 patients (89%) (mean age 62 y, 55% men) were included in the analysis.

    Intervention

    Patients were allocated to levodopa, 100 mg, plus carbidopa (n=26) or …

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • ↵* See glossary.

    • For correspondence: Dr K Scheidtmann, Neurologische Klinik, Bad Aibling, Germany. Kscheidtmann{at}schoen-kliniken.de.

    • Source of funding: in part, DuPont Pharma, Germany.