A computerised axial tomographic study of poststroke major depressive disorder

32 right handed patients who had developed stroke within six months prior to the study and were free from aphasia and impaired level of consciousness were subjected to detailed neurological and psychiatric evaluation. 30 of them also had CT scan of brain. 9 among the 32 patients (28.I %) had major depression as per DSM III R criteria and 5 among them (15.6%) fulfilled the criteria for major depression with melancholia. Occurrence of depression was not related to the age or sex of the patient or duration or type of stroke. Radiological evidence for stroke was present in 25 out of the 30 who had CT Scan. Though there was no correlation between presence of depression and the involvement of a particular hemisphere, MDD was more prevalent in those who had left frontal and right or left subcortical lesions.