Prediction of depressive symptoms up to three years post-stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the long-term course of depressive symptoms up to 3 years post-stroke and to develop a prediction model for depressive symptoms 1 and 3 years post-stroke.


METHODS
Longitudinal follow-up study.


METHODS
Data were analysed for 131 patients with a first-ever supratentorial stroke admitted for inpatient rehabilitation in the Netherlands


METHODS
The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale was used to assess post-stroke depressive symptoms at 6 months, 1 and 3 years post-stroke.


RESULTS
Post-stroke depressive symptoms were present 6 months, 1 year and 3 years post-stroke in 23.7%, 25.2% and 16.0% of the patients, respectively. At all 3 assessments post-stroke depressive symptoms were absent in 65.6% of the patients and present in 12.2% of the patients. Of the patients with post-stroke depressive symptoms 6 months post-stroke, 41.9% had recovered from post-stroke depressive symptoms 3 years post-stroke. The most important predictor of post-stroke depressive symptoms 1 and 3 years post-stroke was post-stroke depressive symptoms 6 months post-stroke (area under the curve 0.75 and 0.85). Male gender was an additional predictor for post-stroke depressive symptoms 3 years post-stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term post-stroke depressive symptoms are highly predictable at 6 months post-stroke. If a patient has not recovered from post-stroke depressive symptoms within the first 6 months post-stroke there is a high risk of chronic post-stroke depressive symptoms.
Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht, Rehabilitation Center De Hoogstraat and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Vera
V
Schepers
Marcel
M
Post
Anne
A
Visser-Meily
Ingrid
I
van de Port
Mimouna
M
Akhmouch
Eline
E
Lindeman
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors