[Clinical traits and treatment outcome for comorbidity of depression and neurological disorders]

To observe the clinical traits and treatment outcome of the comorbidity of depression and neurological disorders.

For patients diagnosed with depressive disorders based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria in both outpatients clinics of neurology and psychology. The severity of depression in HAMD-17 scale and quality of life related to outpatients' emotional state and health in Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were evaluated at the baseline and after a 6-week treatment respectively.

Forty-five patients with concurrent depression and neurological disorders and 49 patients with depressive disorders were recruited. The impairs in outpatients with depressive disorder are various degree of both physical health and mental health. The severity of depression and quality of life had a negative correlation. The patients with concurrent depression and neurological disorders were elder and more bodily diseases than those with depressive disorders. According to the SF-36 scores, the patients with concurrent depression and neurological disorders had lower physical function scores (61 and 83, P = 0.044) and higher vitality scores (39 and 29, P = 0.007) than those patients with depression disorders at the baseline. After completing a 6-week treatment, both two groups have the same remission rate and response rate respectively. Bodily pain scores (60 at pre-treatment vs 65 at post-treatment, P = 0.048) changed more obviously in the patients with concurrent depression and neurological disorders.

More patients with concurrent depression and neurological disorders seek medical consultations at neurological clinics of a general hospital than those with depressive disorders. Their impairment extents of physical health factors were different. And the anti-depressive regimens yield comparable rates of remission and efficacy. If a clinician knows these differences well, the diagnostic and therapeutic levels of the depressive patients will be boosted and their quality of life enhanced.