Post-stroke depression]

The frequency of post-stroke depression (PSD) was evaluated in an ischemic stroke cohort four weeks after onset, and the relationship between self-rating depression scale (SDS)/and infarct size, number and location of the ischemic brain lesions was also studied. The effects of a newly developed antidepressant SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), fluvoxamine maleate, on PSD and cerebral blood flow (CBF) was investigated in other ischemic stroke patients. The frequency of patients who had more than 40 on SDS score was 46% (18/39), and that of patients who had more than 50 was 13% (5/39). There were no differences in SDS score in infarct size, number and location of ischemic brain lesions, however there were significant differences in the lesion side. The score of the patients who had lesions in the left hemisphere was significantly higher than that of those who had them in the right. Administration of fluvoxamine maleate for four weeks improved the score on the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D) from 16.6 +/- 4.7 (n = 5) to 8.4 +/- 4.3 (n = 5), however it did not influence the mean cortical CBF. This study shows that the patients frequently had depression after ischemic stroke, and that left side lesion had a significant relationship with PSD. Therefore it is important that psychiatric examination of post-stroke patients is conducted. This study also shows that a newly developed antidepressant, fluvoxamine maleate, was effective for PSD.