The influence of gender and laterality of lesion on severity of post-stroke depressive symptoms

• Main Author: Drača Sanja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medical Society of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, University of Banja Luka. Faculty of Medicine 2013-01-01
• Series: Scripta Medica
• Subjects: gender; stroke; lateralization; depressive symptoms
• Online Access: https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2490-3329/2013/2490-33291301014D.pdf

Introduction. This prospective study evaluates the effects of gender and stroke lateralization-related differences on the severity of depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods. A total of eighty right-handed patients (20-80 years of age) were enrolled prospectively. These individuals were in the subacute phase of their first, single unilateral stroke. Thirty-five (44%) were women. The majority of patients (74%) had cerebral infarcts, and 26% had an intracerebral hemorrhage. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) edition 2, was used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. (A cutoff point of 14 or higher was applied to distinguish patients with depressive symptoms). Results. At discharge from rehabilitation, the BDI-II identified depressive symptomatology in 33% of patients (n=26 patients). Although the frequency of depressive symptoms was similar in both sexes, we identified significant differences in the frequencies of post-stroke depressive symptoms between men and women with different localization of stroke. Females with poststroke depressive symptomatology were more likely to have a cortical lesion, whereas males with poststroke depressive symptomatology were more likely to have a subcortical lesion. We also noted that women had significantly more severe depressive symptoms (higher mean BDI-II scores) than men. In addition, the severity of depressive symptoms was related to the laterality of lesion in men but not in women. Men with left-sided stroke had significantly more severe depressive symptoms than men with right-sided stroke. Conclusion. Our paper emphasizes the association of gender and laterality of lesion with the severity of post-stroke depressive symptoms.