L-DOPA and Improved Motor Function

• Levodopa Added to Stroke Rehabilitation: The ESTREL Randomized Clinical Trial.

  • 2025-11-04
  • RCT · n = 610
  • JAMA 334(17)
  • • Stefan T Engelter
    • Josefin E Kaufmann
    • Annaelle Zietz
    • Andreas R Luft
    • Alexandros Polymeris
    • Valerian L Altersberger
    • Karin Wiesner
    • Martina Wiegert
    • Jeremia P O Held
    • Yannik Rottenberger
    • Anne Schwarz
    • Friedrich Medlin
    • Ettore A Accolla
    • Sandrine Foucras
    • Georg Kägi
    • Gian Marco De Marchis
    • Svetlana Politz
    • Matthias Greulich
    • Alexander A Tarnutzer
    • Rolf Sturzenegger
    • Mira Katan
    • Urs Fischer
    • Krassen Nedeltchev
    • Janine Schär
    • Katrien Van Den Keybus Deglon
    • Pierre-André Rapin
    • Alexander Salerno
    • David J Seiffge
    • Elias Auer
    • Julian Lippert
    • Leo H Bonati
    • Corina Schuster-Amft
    • Szabina Gäumann
    • Joelle N Chabwine
    • Andrea Humm
    • J Carsten Möller
    • Raoul Schweinfurther
    • Bartosz Bujan
    • Piotr Jedrysiak
    • Peter S Sandor
    • Roman Gonzenbach
    • Veit Mylius
    • Dietmar Lutz
    • Carmen Lienert
    • Nils Peters
    • Patrik Michel
    • René M Müri
    • Sabine Schädelin
    • Lars G Hemkens
    • Gary A Ford
    • Philippe A Lyrer
    • Henrik Gensicke
    • Christopher Traenka

  • PubMed: 40982270
  • DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.15185

  1 Insight on

  • Improved Motor Function

  • High evidence
  • Large Human Trial
  • Rigorous Journal

  The mean difference in the FMA total score between the levodopa and placebo groups was -0.90 points (95% CI, -3.78 to 1.98; P = .54).

  Effect

  Neutral

  Effect size

  Small

  Significant

  No

  Dose

  100 mg/25 mg (levodopa/carbidopa) 3 times daily for 39 days