Abstract: ObjectiveTo study the efficacy of fluoxetine on improving depressive symptoms and activities of daily living(ADL) in early poststroke depressive patients.Methods42 early poststroke depressive patients (within 14 days after first stroke) were randomly divited into fluoxetine treatment group and control group (without antidepressive drugs).Evaluation was conducted before the treatment and at 4 and 6 weeks after treatment,using the Hamilton Depression scale(HAMD)and Barthel Index(BI).ResultsThere was no significant difference in HAMD and BI scores between the two groups before the treatment(P>0.05).At 4 and 6 weeks after the treatment, compared with the control group, the fluoxetine treated group demonstrated significant reduced in HAMD scores (P<0.001) and significant improvement in BI scores (P<0.01).ConclusionsFluoxetine is an effictive drug in improving depressive symptoms and ADL in early postsroke depressive patients.

Key words: Stroke, depression, activity of daily living (ADL), fluoxetine