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 .
Aphasia, Depression, and Non-Verbal Cognitive Impairment in Ischaemic Stroke
Aphasia , depression , and cognitive dysfunction are common consequences of stroke , but knowledge of their interrelationship is limited . This 1-year prospect i ve study was design ed to evaluate prevalence and course of post-stroke aphasia and to study its psychiatric , neurological , and cognitive correlates . We studied a series of 106 consecutive patients ( 46 women and 60 men , mean age 65.8 years ) with first-ever ischaemic brain infa rct ion . The patients were clinical ly examined , and presence and type of aphasia were evaluated during the 1st week after stroke and 3 and 12 months later . Psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations were performed 3 and 12 months after stroke . Aphasia was diagnosed in 34 % of the patients during the acute phase , and two thirds of them remained so 12 months later . Seventy percent of the aphasic patients fulfilled the DSM-III-R criteria of depression 3 months and 62 % 12 months after stroke . The prevalence of major depression increased from 11 to 33 % during the 12-month follow-up period . The non-verbal neuropsychological test performance in the aphasic patients was significantly inferior to that of the patients with dominant hemisphere lesion without aphasia . One third of the patients with ischaemic stroke suffer from communicative disorders which seem to increase the risk of depression and non-verbal cognitive deficits . Although the prevalence of depression in aphasic patients decreases in the long term , the proportion of patients suffering from major depression seems to increase . We emphasize the importance of the multidimensional evaluation of aphasic stroke patients
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 .