title: Depressive symptoms and disability in chagasic stroke patients: impact on functionality and quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chagas disease (CD) is associated with stroke, which can result in significant long-term disability. Stroke has also been associated with depressive symptoms, which affect functional performance and quality of life (QOL). Few data are available on the effect of chagasic stroke on functional performance and QOL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the correlation of stroke disability and depressive symptoms with functional performance and QOL in chagasic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, stroke sequelae were assessed using the Modified Rankin Stroke Scale (MRSS), depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), functional performance using the Barthel Index (BI), and QOL using the WHOQOL-BREF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one patients with CD and a previous diagnosis of stroke were included. There was a correlation between the MRSS score and the BI score (r=-0.663, p=0.003), but not the scores of the WHOQOL-BREF subscales. The BDI score was correlated with the WHOQOL-BREF subscale scores (Physical: r=-0.733, p=0.001; Psychological: r=-0.581, p=0.012; Social: r=-0.713, p=0.001; Environmental: r=-0.659, p=0.003). However, the BDI score was not associated with the BI score (r=0.279, p=0.262).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QOL in patients with CD appears to be influenced more by depressive symptoms than by the motor-associated consequences of stroke. Conversely, motor sequelae impair the functionality of the patient more than depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Infectology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Cristina de
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Manoel Otávio da Costa
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Antônio Lúcio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: José Olímpio
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Dias Júnior
authors.forename: Lidiane Aparecida Pereira de
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Maria Carmo Pereira
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D018401:Sample Size; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*