Potential Role of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Improving Functional Outcome after Stroke

The great advances in acute stroke treatment during the last decades have changed life after stroke considerably. However, the use of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy is limited by a relatively narrow time window or contraindications for treatment. Further, patients receiving acute reperfusion therapies may still have cognitive and emotional complications due to underlying brain infarcts even though physical problems may almost disappear. Consequently, stroke is still a frequent cause of adult disability and death worldwide, and an effort to identify additional treatments to enhance recovery, preferably also feasible in the time after the acute phase, is warranted. Albeit several drugs and treatment modalities have been studied for their potential to enhance recovery after stroke, no treatment has unambiguously proven to potentiate the rehabilitation process. A promising candidate for pharmacological treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a group of commonly used antidepressants that may also possess neuro-regenerative properties. The current paper reviews the evidence for SSRIs as potential enhancers of stroke recovery and discusses the potential mechanisms behind the effects reported and the implications for the management of patients post-stoke, including potential adverse events and drug-drug interactions.