title: Reduction of central poststroke pain with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine.
abstract: To investigate the effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluvoxamine on central poststroke pain (CPSP), fluvoxamine (25 to 125 mg daily) was given to 31 patients. Although 3 patients dropped out within 1 week, 28 patients who received fluvoxamine for 2 to 4 weeks showed a significant reduction in the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain from 7.7 +/- 2.2 to 6.0 +/- 3.4 (p < .01). This improvement in VAS was significant in patients within less than 1 year after stroke, but not in those with a duration of more than 1 year. Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) was also significantly improved after treatment, but there was no significant correlation between the changes in VAS and SDS. Although this is not a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, these results suggest that fluvoxarnine is useful for the control of CPSP regardless of depression when used relatively early after stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, 3930-7 Takachiho, Makizonocho, Kagoshima 899-6603, Japan. rihakoza@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimodozono
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawahira
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamishita
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tohgo
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D016666:Fluvoxamine; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors