title: The association between the severity of poststroke depression and clinical outcomes after first-onset stroke in Korean patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the association between poststroke depression (PSD) and clinical outcomes in first-onset stroke patients who are undergoing a rehabilitation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study included 180 inpatients that were recruited consecutively and followed up over a 6-month observational period. Poststroke depression was diagnosed using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Symptoms of depression and clinical outcomes were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, the modified Barthel Index (MBI) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). All patients were assessed at baseline and at the end of the 6-month observational period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 180 patients, 127 (70.6%) were diagnosed with minimal-to-mild depression (MMD), and 53 (29.4%) were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe depression (MSD). The mean change in MBI scores from baseline to 6 months was significantly higher (P=.029) in the MMD group (23.8) than in the MSD group (8.6). The odds ratio for an unfavorable outcome (MBI score <60) in patients with MSD was approximately 3.5 in relation to patients with MMD. The mean change in MMSE score (4.4 versus 7.4) was not significantly different between the MMD and MSD groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that the severity of PSD may be associated with clinical outcomes in Korean patients 6 months after a first-onset stroke. Our data agree with previous findings, which indicate that clinicians should carefully evaluate symptoms of depression in stroke patients during routine clinical practice. The methodological shortcomings of the present study may require further studies with adequate power and improved design to clarify the association between PSD and clinical outcomes following stroke.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Geun-Young
authors: GY
authors: Park
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sun
authors: S
authors: Im
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Chang Hoon
authors: CH
authors: Oh
authors: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Soo-Jung
authors: SJ
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: pae@catholic.ac.kr.
authors: Chi-Un
authors: CU
authors: Pae
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Clinical outcomes; Post-stroke depression; Rehabilitation; Severity; Stroke