CHICAGO - A COMMON antidepressant combined with an intensive treadmill training program helped people with partial spinal cord injuries walk better and faster, US researchers said on Sunday.

They said Forest Laboratories' antidepressant Lexapro or escitalopram, which affects a message-carrying brain chemical called serotonin, helps strengthen remaining nerve connections along the spine, giving patients with spinal cord injuries more ability to control their muscles during training. -- REUTERS