Comparison of two depression measures for predicting stroke outcomes

Little is known about the effect of lifetime history of depression on ischemic stroke outcomes. This study compared a measure of current symptoms of depression at the time of the stroke and a measure of lifetime history of depression for their ability to predict quality of life and functioning at 3 and 12 months after stroke.

A cohort of 460 ischemic stroke patients from the 2005 Greater Cincinnati/North Kentucky Stroke Study was assessed within 2 weeks of the stroke, including the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) for current symptoms of depression. Lifetime history of depression was also assessed by a 2-question measure at 3 and 12 months after stroke. Two outcome measures, Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SSQOL) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) to assess functional status, were also collected at 3 and 12 months.

Of the 322 survivors included in the analysis, 52.2% reported depression on at least one measure. Both current symptoms and lifetime history of depression predicted poor functional outcomes and poor quality of life at 3 and 12 months, after adjustment for age, race, sex, prior stroke, baseline functional status, and stroke severity. The combination of depression measures was a better predictor of poor outcomes than either measure alone.

Depression by either measure was a frequent, substantial, and independent predictor of poor outcomes at 3 and 12 months after stroke. Stroke outcomes studies should further examine the predictive value of assessing both depressive symptoms at the time of the stroke and lifetime history of depression.