POST-STROKE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION: RELATIONSHIPS TO COGNITIVE REHABILITATION OUTCOME

Objective: this study examined the prevalence of depression and anxiety as well as the relationship to cognitive functioning in the sub-acute phase and at 2 months post-stroke in a sample of 40 inpatients. This study also explored the relationship between anxiety, depression and the side of lesions caused by stoke. In addition, efficacy of neuropsychological intervention on anxiety, depression and cognitive functioning was evaluated. Method: a convenience sample of 40 post-stroke patients was recruited from an inpatient rehabilitation unit. They completed the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Verbal Memory Span and Visuospatial Memory Span, the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrix (RCPM), the Guidelines for the Rating of Awareness Deficits (GRAD), the Clinical Insight Rating Scale (CIRS), the Hamilton Rating Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) in the subacute phase (T1) and 2 months after stroke (T2). Medical information about the stroke and its characteristics was provided. A control sample of 21 orthopaedic patients was enrolled to compare anxiety, depression and the efficacy of treatment. A correlational analysis was performed to examine the relationships between anxiety, depression, and cognitive functioning in the sample of post-stroke patients. Results: results showed significant differences between the post-stroke sample and control sample in anxiety and depression. There were no significant differences in anxiety and depression between patients with left and right hemisphere lesions. In addition, neuropsychological intervention was effective on anxiety and cognitive functioning but not on depression. Results of correlational analysis showed specific and significant associations between anxiety, depression and cognitive functioning. Conclusions: the findings suggest that it is important to focus on anxiety and depression in post-stroke patients in order to specifically guide rehabilitation procedures in the different stages of stroke. Psychological support for depression in addition to neuropsychological intervention is important in the early post-stroke stage.