Emotional incontinence and executive function in ischemic stroke: a case-controlled study.
Frontal and basal ganglia infarcts and executive dysfunction are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of poststroke emotional incontinence (PSEI). The study examined whether patients with PSEI have more frontal and/or basal ganglia infarcts and impairment in executive function. A total of 516 Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke consecutively admitted to the acute stroke unit of a university-affiliated regional hospital in Hong Kong were screened for PSEI 3 months after the index stroke. According to Kim's criteria, 39 (7.6%) had PSEI. Thirty-nine stroke patients without PSEI served as matched control group. The PSEI group had significantly more frontal and/or basal ganglia infarcts, had lower Chinese Frontal Assessment Battery scores, required more time to complete the Stroop Test, and made more omission and commission errors in the Go-NoGo test. There was no significant correlation between frontal or basal ganglia infarcts and executive function. The correlation between frontal infarct and severity of PSEI was .420. Further follow-up and functional imaging studies are warranted to explore the relationship between PSEI, brain infarcts, and executive dysfunction. (JINS, 2009, 15, 62-68.).
Tang
W K
WK
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. tangwk@cuhk.edu.hk
Chen
Yangkun
Y
Lam
Wynnie W M
WW
Mok
Vincent
V
Wong
Adrian
A
Ungvari
Gabor S
GS
Xiang
Y T
YT
Wong
Ka Sing
KS
D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D020144:Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*