Amphetamines for improving stroke recovery: a systematic cochrane review.

The search for pharmacological therapies, which may facilitate the recovery process after a permanent brain injury, has been intensified during the past decade. One of the most extensively studied pharmacological approaches to stimulate recovery after experimental stroke is treatment with amphetamines. Experimental animal studies suggest that treatment with amphetamines improve recovery after focal cerebral ischemia. If the effect were similar in humans, amphetamine treatment could have a major impact on recovery from stroke. This systematic review aims to assess the effects of amphetamine treatment, as compared with placebo, in patients with stroke.