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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
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A Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Technique for Inducing Post-stroke Depression in Rats
Published on: May 22, 2019
Post-stroke depressive symptoms are associated with post-stroke characteristics
Liselore Snaphaan1, Sieberen van der Werf, Karin Kanselaar
1Department of Neurology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Cerebrovascular Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 22, 2009
Summary
Post-stroke depressive symptoms (PSDS) affect 13% of patients. Higher handicap and less functional independence increase PSDS risk, regardless of stroke type. Early intervention is key.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous studies on post-stroke depressive symptoms (PSDS) often included patients with pre-existing depression.
- Prestroke factors like prior depressive episodes, white matter lesions, and brain atrophy were not adequately considered.
- This limits understanding of stroke's direct impact on depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of PSDS.
- To identify risk factors for PSDS, adjusting for prestroke depression and related factors.
- To analyze the relationship between stroke characteristics and PSDS.
Main Methods:
- 420 patients with transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction were enrolled.
- Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale assessed PSDS 6-8 weeks post-stroke.
- Multivariate regression analyzed prestroke and stroke factors against PSDS.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of PSDS was 13%.
- PSDS occurrence did not vary by stroke subtype or occurrence (first-ever vs. recurrent).
- Higher post-stroke handicap (OR=5.39) and lower functional independence (OR=0.88) were significantly associated with PSDS.
Conclusions:
- This study carefully excluded patients with prestroke depression, offering a clearer view of PSDS prevalence.
- PSDS are linked to functional outcomes (handicap, independence), not lesion location or side.
- Early identification of PSDS and risk factors can guide interventions and predict long-term outcomes.
