title: Cerebral microbleeds as a predictor of 1-year outcome of poststroke depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are common in stroke survivors and community-dwelling elderly. The clinical significance of CMBs in the outcome of poststroke depression (PSD) is unknown. This study examined the association between the 1-year outcome of PSD and CMBs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 774 Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to the acute stroke unit of a university-affiliated regional hospital in Hong Kong. Three and 15 months after the onset of the index stroke, a research assistant administered the locally validated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. PSD was defined as a Geriatric Depression Scale score of ≥7. Of the 213 patients with PSD at the 3-month follow-up, 135 (63.4%) attended the 15-month follow-up, at which time 89 (65.9%) patients remained depressed (nonremitters), and 46 (34.1%) had recovered (remitters). The presence and location of CMBs were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the remitters, nonremitters were more likely to have lobar CMBs (18.4% versus 4.3%; P=0.024). Lobar CMBs remained an independent predictor of PSD in the multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 4.96 (P=0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that lobar CMBs may influence the outcome of PSD. The importance of CMBs in the clinical course of depression in stroke survivors warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Psychiatry (W.K.T., H.L.), Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology (W.C.W.C.), and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics (V.C.T.M., K.S.W.), Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Neurology, Dongguan People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, P.R. China (Y.C.); The University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Australia (G.S.U.); and School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia (G.S.U.).
authors.forename: Wai Kwong
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yangkun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huajun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Winnie Chiu Wing
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Vincent Chung Tong
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.forename: Gabor Sandor
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.forename: Ka Sing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: depression; magnetic resonance imaging; outcome measures; stroke