BROMOCRIPTINE TREATMENT OF NONFLUENT APHASIA

Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, we studied the effect of bromocriptine (15 mg daily) in 20 men with chronic nonf luent aphasia. The study was conducted over a 28-week period in two ph ases. In phase I, the patients received either bromocriptine or placeb o; in phase II the treatments were crossed over. We evaluated each pat ient's language and nonverbal cognitive skills at the beginning and en d of each phase and 6 weeks after completion of phase II. When compare d with placebo treatment, bromocriptine did not significantly improve the patients' speech fluency, language content, overall degree of apha sia severity, or nonverbal cognitive abilities, Based on these results , bromocriptine is not recommended as monotherapy for the treatment of chronic nonfluent aphasia.