Generalized anxiety disorder after stroke.
A series of 309 admissions to a stroke unit was examined for anxiety symptoms. Patients were diagnosed with DSM-III-R generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptom criteria. They were divided into groups of no anxiety (59.2%), worried but not fulfilling GAD criteria (13.9%), and GAD (26.9%). Patients were then divided into depressed and nondepressed groups based on the existence of DSM-III major or minor (dysthymic) depression. These groups were not significantly different in their background characteristics, family or personal psychiatric history, social support or the severity of physical impairment. Anxiety plus depression was associated with left cortical lesions, whereas anxiety alone was associated with right hemisphere lesions. Patients with worry had anterior and patients with GAD had posterior right hemisphere lesions. These findings suggest that anxiety disorder (independent of depression) is not related to background characteristics or to severity of impairment but is, in part, influenced by the brain structures that are injured.
Castillo
C S
CS
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City.
Starkstein
S E
SE
Fedoroff
J P
JP
Price
T R
TR
Robinson
R G
RG
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support