Piracetam as an adjuvant to language therapy for aphasia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether piracetam 4.8 g/day together with intensive language therapy improved language function more than language therapy alone.


METHODS
Double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study.


METHODS
Referral speech and language clinic of a university department of neurology.


METHODS
Sixty-six inpatients with aphasia present between 4 weeks and 36 months.


METHODS
Intensive language therapy for 6 weeks in all patients. Thirty-two patients received piracetam 4.8 g daily and 34 patients received placebo.


METHODS
The Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT), a standardized procedure for evaluating the severity of aphasia, was performed at baseline and after 6 weeks' treatment.


RESULTS
In 50 patients evaluated for efficacy, a trend toward improvement in the active group was observed in all subtests of the AAT. This trend was statistically significant for absolute differences in recovery of "written language" and "profile level."


CONCLUSIONS
Piracetam appears to have a positive adjuvant effect on the recovery of aphasia in patients receiving intensive language therapy.
Huber
W
W
Department of Neurology, School of Logopedics, Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule (RWTH), Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium.
Willmes
K
K
Poeck
K
K
Van Vleymen
B
B
Deberdt
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007808:Language Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010889:Piracetam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010889:Piracetam