A new use for Viagra: It could aid recovery for stroke patients

Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit needs 62 more volunteers for a study to find out whether Viagra improves recovery in people with moderate symptoms from stroke within seven days or less. Work by Michael Chopp, chief of neurology at Ford, could build the basis that Viagra may have therapeutic benefits beyond treating erectile dysfunction.

Chopp's research centers on the brain's capability to form new blood vessels and nerve connections, a process known as remodeling. Dr. Brian Silver, a Ford neurologist heading the study warns people not to give Viagra to stroke patients randomly because it could cause loss of vision and other problems.

Rene Jarinski was the first Ford patient to get Viagra after she took a migraine medicine on July 28, 2003, and ended up with a rare disorder known as locked-in syndrome, a severe type of stroke. She was unable to talk or move except to nod her head slightly or to glance sideways a little. It affects about 200 people worldwide every year and often is fatal, said Silver, Jarinski's doctor.

After nine months of therapy, Jarinski is improving. She uses a computer and "is beginning to work on standing," Silver said.

By Patricia Anstett
Detroit Free Press