Depression in stroke patients with left and right hemisphere lesions. A study in geriatric rehabilitation in-patients

To analyze possible differences in depression rate and symptomatology in stroke patients with left and right hemisphere lesions, ninety-three patients in geriatric rehabilitation wards with a mean age of 76 years were studied. A clinical psychiatric examination was used together with two depression rating scales. Depression prevalence was 46%, and there was no difference between left and right hemisphere lesions. Mean depression scores in the two rating scales showed no significant difference regarding location of lesions. It is concluded that in this elderly, moderately handicapped, stroke population there was no significant difference in depression rate between patients with left and right hemisphere lesions.