Depression after minor stroke: the association with disability and quality of life--a 1-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Minor stroke is characterized by mild neurological functional impairment and relatively good outcome. Little is known about the association between post-stroke depression (PSD) and outcomes of minor stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PSD and disability and quality of life (QoL) at 1 year after minor ischemic stroke.


METHODS
Patients with first-ever minor ischemic stroke (n = 747) were followed up at 14 ± 2 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after stroke. Depressive symptoms were assessed at each follow-up. Patients diagnosed with depression at 14 ± 2 days formed the early-onset PSD group; those who were diagnosed with depression at any subsequent follow-ups for the first time constituted the late-onset PSD group. The outcomes of minor stroke including disability (modified Rankin score ≥ 2) and QoL (Short Form-36 Health Survey) were assessed at the 1-year follow-up.


RESULTS
A total of 198 (26.5%) patients were diagnosed with PSD over the 1-year follow-up; 136 and 62 patients were allocated to the early-onset PSD group and late-onset PSD group, respectively. Both early-onset and late-onset PSD were independently associated with disability and poor physical and mental health at 1 year after stroke. Recovery from depression (n = 112) within 1 year decreased the adverse impacts of PSD on functional outcome and QoL.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-stroke depression was independently associated with disability and poor QoL at 1 year after first-ever minor ischemic stroke. Recovery from PSD decreased but did not eliminate the adverse impacts of PSD on outcomes of minor stroke.
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Yu Zhi
YZ
Shi
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
Yu Tao
YT
Xiang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Yang
Y
Yang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Ning
N
Zhang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Shuo
S
Wang
University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Australia.|School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Gabor S
GS
Ungvari
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Helen F K
HF
Chiu
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Wai Kwong
WK
Tang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Yi Long
YL
Wang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Xing Quan
XQ
Zhao
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
Yong Jun
YJ
Wang
Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.|Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology and Clinical Psychology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Chun Xue
CX
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
disability; ischemic stroke; minor stroke; post-stroke depression; quality of life