Mesial temporal cortex hypoperfusion is associated with depression in subcortical stroke.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to evaluate local cerebral blood flow changes in patients with depression after a subcortical stroke.


METHODS
Clinical and neuropsychological assessments were performed in 15 patients with a single subcortical lesion. Depression was assessed by DSM-III-R. In addition, the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Beck scale were administered to each patient. Single-photon emission-computed tomography study was performed with 99mTc hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime.


RESULTS
In all patients cortical regions ipsilateral to subcortical lesions were significantly less perfused than the contralateral cortex. Cerebral blood flow values were significantly lower in depressed patients (n = 8) than in nondepressed patients (n = 7) only in the mesial temporal cortex of the affected hemisphere. Cerebral blood flow values in the mesial temporal cortex of the affected hemisphere significantly correlated with the severity of depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Temporal lobe hypoperfusion may reflect a dysfunction of the limbic system, suggesting that this location may be critical for the occurrence of depressive symptoms in patients with subcortical stroke.
Grasso
M G
MG
IRCCS S. Lucia Rehabilitation Center of Rome, Italy.
Pantano
P
P
Ricci
M
M
Intiso
D F
DF
Pace
A
A
Padovani
A
A
Orzi
F
F
Pozzilli
C
C
Lenzi
G L
GL
D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon