Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Up to 60% of patients do not fully recover despite intensive physical therapy treatment.N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors(NMDA-R) have been shown to play a role in synaptic plasticitywhen activated. D-Cycloserine promotes NMDA receptor function by binding to receptors with unoccupied glycine sites. These receptors are involved in learning and memory.We hypothesized thatD-cycloserine,when combined with robotic-assisted physiotherapy (RAP), would result in greater gains compared with placebo + RAP in stroke survivors. Participants (𝑛 = 14) were randomized to Dcycloserine plus RAP or placebo plus RAP. Functional, cognitive, and quality-of-life measures were used to assess recovery. There was significant improvement in grip strength of the affected hand within both groups from baseline to 3 weeks (95% confidence interval for mean change, 3.95 ± 2.96 to 4.90 ± 3.56N for D-cycloserine and 5.72 ± 3.98 to 8.44 ± 4.90N for control). SIS mood domain showed improvement for both groups (95% confidence interval for mean change, 72.6 ± 16.3 to 82.9 ± 10.9 forD-cycloserine and 82.9 ± 13.5 to 90.3 ± 9.9 for control).This preliminary study does not provide evidence that D-cycloserine can provide greater gains in learning compared with placebo for stroke survivors.
Recommended Citation
Andrew J. Butler, Justiss Kallos, Stephen N. Housley, Michelle C. LaPlaca, Stephen F. Traynelis, and Steven L. Wolf, “Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study of D-Cycloserine in Chronic Stroke,” Rehabilitation Research and Practice, vol. 2015, Article ID 534239, 14 pages, 2015. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/534239
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
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Originally Published in:
Rehabil Res Pract, 2015 534239. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/534239