Comparison of spontaneously recovered versus nonrecovered patients with poststroke depression.

Abstract

We followed 16 patients who developed depression immediately after a stroke for 6 months. By that time, six patients showed no depression (recovered group), while 10 patients were still depressed (nonrecovered group). There were no significant differences in demographic variables and social functioning between the groups, but the nonrecovered group showed less improvement in cognitive function and more physical impairments. Patients in the nonrecovered group had mainly cortical lesions, while those in the recovered group had mainly subcortical and posterior circulation strokes.