Activation of rehabilitation.

Following the demonstration that catecholamine levels in the cerebral hemispheres were considerably reduced with stroke, efforts were made to change this situation in experimental animals. It was found that the use of amphetamine (CAS 300-62-9) greatly enhanced the recovery time of animals following experimental stroke, and that agents which block the release or function of catecholamines in the central nervous system seem to delay recovery. These observations have been used to determine whether or not the same conditions exist for humans with stroke. To date in one study there is evidence that use of amphetamine early after a stroke may enhance the rehabilitation process. The rehabilitation process can be impaired by a number of situations, the most common of which is depression. It has been shown that treatment of depression for patients with stroke in rehabilitation may improve the outcome as well as the speed of outcome. Prognosis for patients with stroke who enter rehabilitation programs is related to the degree of central nervous system damage. Those patients with only motor dysfunction tend to do much better in programs than those who have in addition sensory or visual disturbances. Usually maximum improvement of function following stroke and rehabilitation care occurs in the first three months. Carefully planned rehabilitation programs for patients following stroke with realistic goals can greatly improve the patients' function and enable them to remain as independent as possible.