Depression after stroke: the importance of cerebral hemisphere asymmetries.
The pattern of brain asymmetries was visualized on computed tomography (CT) scan in patients with a single acute cerebrovascular lesion. Patients were divided into those with typical or reversed frontal and/or occipital asymmetries. Among patients with a typical occipital asymmetry, those with left frontal or left basal ganglia lesions showed a significantly higher frequency of major depression and significantly higher depression scores than patients with similar lesion location but with reversed occipital asymmetry or those with a typical asymmetry and lesions in other (left or right) brain areas. Among patients with a reversed occipital asymmetry, there was no significant association between left frontal or left basal ganglia lesions and depression. This study demonstrates that the previously reported significant association between post-stroke major depression and lesion location is restricted to patients with a typical occipital asymmetry and is not present in patients with a reversed occipital asymmetry.
Starkstein
S E
SE
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neurosciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Bryer
J B
JB
Berthier
M L
ML
Cohen
B
B
Price
T R
TR
Robinson
R G
RG
D001039:Aphasia, Broca / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed