Discriminative factors for post-stroke depression

Background: Depression is the most common mood disorder following stroke. It can negatively affects different domains of patient's life. The present study aimed to explore demographic and clinical predictors of post stroke depression and determine discriminative cognitive, motor, and functional factors in stroke patients with and without depression. Methods: In a cross sectional study, 100 patients with stroke were investigated. Measurements consisted of Beck Depression Inventory-II, Trail Making Test A & B, Digit Span Subtest of Wechsler Memory Scale, Motricity Index (arm and leg motor), Trunk Control Test, Barthel Index, and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Demographics and clinical data including educational level, marital status, limb affected, cigarette smoking habits, diabetes mellitus, cardiac diseases, and blood pressure were also collected. Results: Multivariate logistic regression revealed that college level of education (OR = 8.78, 95% CI: 2.65-29.11, P < 0.001) and cardiac diseases (OR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.19-8.13, P < 0.001) were significant demographic and clinical predictors of post stroke depression. Using stepwise discriminant function analysis, basic activities of daily living and trunk control with 88.0% classification accuracy, 81.1% sensitivity, and 95.7% specificity were as the best discriminators of post stroke depression. Conclusions: Rehabilitation experts working with patients with stroke should pay special attention to trunk control and basic activities of daily living for preventing consequences of PSD particularly in those with higher educational level and cardiac diseases.