Conclusions Piracetam plays a limited role in the rehabilitation of overall language impairment and only benefits written language ability at the end of trials .
Its effect on overall linguistic level and written language tends to emerge within a short period and declines thereafter
Background Aphasia is a common symptom in post-stroke patients .
Piracetam is a commonly used nootropic agent that promises various benefits to brain function , including language improvement .
Objective We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to assess whether piracetam facilitates the rehabilitation of language performance in post-stroke patients .
Does long term use of piracetam improve speech disturbances due to ischemic cerebrovascular diseases?
Aphasia causes significant disability and h and icap among stroke survivors . Language therapy is recommended for aphasic patients , but not always available . Piracetam , an old drug with novel properties , has been shown to have mild beneficial effects on post-stroke aphasia . In the current study , we investigated the effects of 6 months treatment with piracetam on aphasia following stroke . Thirty patients with first-ever ischemic strokes and related aphasia were enrolled in the study . The scores for the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ( NIHSS ) , Barthel Index ( BI ) , modified Rankin Scale ( mRS ) , and Gülhane Aphasia Test were recorded . The patients were scheduled r and omly to receive either 4.8 g piracetam daily or placebo treatment for 6 months . At the end of 24 weeks , clinical assessment s and aphasia tests were repeated . The level of improvement in the clinical parameters and aphasia scores was compared between the two groups . All patients had large lesions and severe aphasia . No significant difference was observed between the piracetam and placebo groups regarding the improvements in the NIHSS , BI and mRS scores at the end of the treatment . The improvements observed in spontaneous speech , reading fluency , auditory comprehension , reading comprehension , repetition , and naming were not significantly different in the piracetam and placebo groups , the difference reached significance only for auditory comprehension in favor of piracetam at the end of the treatment . Piracetam is well-tolerated in patients with post-stroke aphasia .  Piracetam taken orally in a daily dose of 4.8 g for 6 months has no clear beneficial effect on post-stroke language disorders
Conclusions Piracetam plays a limited role in the rehabilitation of overall language impairment and only benefits written language ability at the end of trials .
Its effect on overall linguistic level and written language tends to emerge within a short period and declines thereafter
Background Aphasia is a common symptom in post-stroke patients .
Piracetam is a commonly used nootropic agent that promises various benefits to brain function , including language improvement .
Objective We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to assess whether piracetam facilitates the rehabilitation of language performance in post-stroke patients .