Cerebral microbleeds and depression in Lacunar Stroke
Publication Details
Tang, W. K., Chen, Y. K., Lu, J. Y., Chu, W. C. W., Mok, V. C. T., Ungvari, G. S., et al. (2011). Cerebral microbleeds and depression in lacunar stroke. Stroke, 42(9), 2443-2446. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.614586
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds (CMB) are common in stroke survivors and the community-dwelling elderly. The clinical significance of CMB in the development of depression after a stroke is unknown. This study examined the association between poststroke depression (PSD) and CMB.
Methods: A cohort of 235 patients with acute lacunar stroke admitted to the stroke unit of a university-affiliated regional hospital in Hong Kong was recruited. Three months after the onset of the index stroke, a research assistant administered the locally validated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. PSD was defined as a Genetic Depression Scale score of ≥7. The presence and location of CMB were evaluated with MRI.
Results: In comparison with the non-PSD group, PSD patients were more likely to have lobar CMB (33.3% versus 19.9%; P=0.022). Lobar CMB remained an independent predictor of PSD in the multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 2.08 (P=0.032).
Conclusions: The results suggest that lobar CMB may play a role in the development of PSD. The importance of CMB in the pathogenesis of depression in stroke survivors and the general elderly population warrants further investigation.
Keywords
peer-reviewed
