title: Generalized anxiety disorders three to four months after ischemic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of our study was to detail the frequency and clinical determinants of poststroke generalized anxiety disorders in a large, well-defined stroke cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 277 stroke patients aged 55-85 were subjected to a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation between 3 and 4 months after ischemic stroke. Primary generalized anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder due to stroke were diagnosed according to DSM-IV symptom criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of any generalized anxiety disorder was 20.6% (n = 57). According to a logistic model, any generalized anxiety disorder was associated with a history of epilepsy, comorbid depressive disorder, severity of depression, severity of anxiety, and the use of anxiolytic drugs. A discriminant analysis identified four factors that distinguished the two diagnostic subgroups from one another: the level of psychosocial functioning (worse score in patients with generalized anxiety due to stroke), a history of migraine, anterior circulation stroke localization (more frequent in patients with generalized anxiety disorder due to stroke), and a history of insomnia (more frequent in patients with primary generalized anxiety disorder).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically significant anxiety is common in ischemic stroke patients and may hamper their rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Antero
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leppävuori
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pohjasvaara
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vataja
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaste
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkinjuntti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors