Depression and quality of life in patients with Broca's and subcortical stroke-related aphasia: A comparative study

Aphasia, primarily recognized as a language disorder following stroke, often is presented with concurrent emotional and social difficulties, including depression. This study investigated whether the type of aphasia-Broca's or subcortical-may be related to the prevalence of depression and overall quality of life (QOL) in affected individuals.

The present study involved 46 individuals with chronic aphasia resulting from left hemisphere strokes. Participants were divided into two groups: those with Broca's aphasia and those with subcortical aphasia. Several assessment tools were utilized, including the Persian versions of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Western Aphasia Battery (P-WAB-1), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39).

The results indicated that the average severity of aphasia was significantly lower in the Broca's aphasia group (36.48 ± 8.05) compared to the subcortical aphasia group (62.83 ± 19.88). However, both groups demonstrated similar depression severity scores and their quality of life was largely comparable to each other.

This study underscores that living with aphasia, regardless of type, involves emotional and social challenges that may be extended beyond language difficulties, emphasizing the need to address these issues to improve the well-being of stroke survivors.