[The efficacy of semax in the tretament of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke].
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled clinical trial without reported randomization or blinding
PubMed 29798983 · doi:10.17116/jnevro20181183261-68
What was done
A controlled trial evaluated 110 patients post-ischemic stroke (43 men, 67 women; mean age 58.0 ± 9.7 years) followed over 5 months. Participants were divided by rehabilitation timing into early (89 ± 9 days post-stroke) and late (214 ± 22 days post-stroke) groups, with each group subdivided into semax-treated and untreated subgroups. Semax was administered in two 10-day courses (6000 mcg/day) with a 20-day interval. Plasma BDNF levels, motor performance on the British Medical Research Council scale, and Barthel index scores were assessed.
What was found
Semax administration was reported to increase plasma BDNF levels across both early and late rehabilitation groups, remaining elevated throughout the study. In untreated subgroups, higher BDNF levels positively correlated with early rehabilitation. Semax and higher BDNF levels accelerated functional recovery and improved final Barthel index scores. The abstract reports no numerical values, confidence intervals, or p-values for BDNF concentrations, motor performance scores, or Barthel index outcomes.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary clinical data suggesting that semax adjunct therapy may enhance neurotrophin levels and functional independence during post-stroke rehabilitation.
Limits
The abstract does not report randomization, allocation concealment, or blinding methods. No numerical effect sizes, dispersion metrics, or exact statistical significance values are provided. Functional measures were limited to short-term follow-up without safety or recurrence data.
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