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Published on: May 22, 2019
Poststroke depression in patients with small subcortical infarcts.
Yangkun Chen1, Xiangyan Chen, Vincent C T Mok
1Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ae, China. davischan78@gmail.com
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
|November 28, 2008
Summary
Poststroke depression (PSD) is more common in patients with small subcortical infarcts (SSIs) caused by large artery disease (LAD) compared to small vessel disease (SVD). Etiology significantly impacts PSD risk following SSIs.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Small subcortical infarcts (SSIs) are associated with both small vessel disease (SVD) and large artery disease (LAD).
- Poststroke depression (PSD) is a common complication following stroke.
- The etiological factors of SSIs and their specific impact on PSD remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of poststroke depression (PSD) in patients with small subcortical infarcts (SSIs).
- To compare the incidence of PSD between SSIs caused by large artery disease (LAD) and small vessel disease (SVD).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 127 patients with SSIs was retrospectively analyzed.
- Patients were categorized based on the etiology of their SSIs: LAD or SVD.
- Poststroke depression was assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) at 3 months post-stroke.
Main Results:
- Patients with SSIs due to LAD (n=44) exhibited significantly higher mean GDS scores compared to those with SVD (n=83).
- The frequency of PSD was notably higher in the LAD group (p<0.05).
- Large artery disease (LAD) was identified as a significant independent risk factor for developing PSD in patients with SSIs.
Conclusions:
- Poststroke depression (PSD) is more prevalent in patients experiencing small subcortical infarcts (SSIs) resulting from large artery disease (LAD).
- These findings suggest that impaired cerebral blood perfusion, potentially linked to LAD, may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PSD.
- Further research into the mechanisms of cerebral blood flow in relation to PSD is warranted.
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