Rob Dillard

DocwireNews

Recovering stroke patients often endure months or even years of depression driven by factors such as cognitive difficulties, a lack of social participation, and self-perceived poor recovery, according to a new study presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia.&ldquo;Depression is extremely common after a stroke, occurring in about a third to half of all stroke survivors, but we found that the reasons people develop depression differ depending on the kinds of difficulties that develop after their strokes,&rdquo; says the study&rsquo;s senior author Peter E. Turkeltaub, MD, PhD, director of the Cognitive Recovery Lab and the Aphasia Clinic at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DC via a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1061968" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release.</a> &ldquo;Most research on depression after stroke focuses on the first few months of recovery and often excludes people with aphasia. We focused specifically on people with aphasia in the chronic phase of stroke recovery, which can last for many years.&rdquo;In this analysis, the investigators queried 93 people who had mild to moderate, and severe stroke. They were compared to a study comprised&nbsp; of 70 people of similar demographics who had not had a stroke. All 163 study participants (mean age, 60) completed a depression survey to rate the severity of their symptoms. The researchers noted that stroke survivors also completed a survey which analyzed perceived disabilities and health-related quality of life.Subsequently, two statistical models were utilized to assess survey responses and explore the relationship between stroke and depression. Based on the first model, the study found that stroke survivors had higher depression scores than non-stroke patients. Also, younger and better educated stroke survivors reported less depression.According to the second model, cognitive and communication disabilities, social participation and self-perceived stroke recovery scores predicted depression levels, but physical disability scores or language and motor disability measures were not predictive of depression, the researchers noted.&ldquo;Understanding the root causes of depression can lead to better care for those recovering from a stroke,&rdquo; Dr. Turkeltaub adds. &ldquo;While they may have new disabilities because of a stroke, ensuring patients have the best quality of life possible is always our goal. In particular, our study is one of the few that provides information on how living with aphasia impacts depression symptoms, which we hope will help doctors, psychologists and speech therapists provide the best care for stroke survivors.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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Recovering Stroke Patients Endure Long-Term Depression Driven by Many Factors

Stroke

Recovering stroke patients often endure months or even years of depression driven by factors such as cognitive difficulties.

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