Post-Stroke Depression -- July/August 2007

Lana S. Rothenburg, BSc(Hons), Neuropsychopharmacology Research Program, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Nathan Herrmann, MD FRCP(C), Neuropsychopharmacology Research Program; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Krista L. Lanctôt, PhD, Neuropsychopharmacology Research Program; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Depression is a common sequela of stroke, occurring in approximately 33% of all patients. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is associated with greater cognitive and functional impairments, excess mortality, and increased health care costs, although symptoms are often mild. Diagnosis of PSD can be made using standard clinical criteria, despite the potential overlap with the somatic and vegetative symptoms of stroke. Post-stroke depression responds to standard antidepressant pharmacotherapies, but use of tricyclic antidepressants may result in increased cardiac adverse events. Given the high prevalence and major negative impact of PSD, active screening of all stroke patients for depression and aggressive treatment is recommended.
Key words: stroke, depression, diagnosis, risk factors, treatment.