Does the severity of depressive symptoms after stroke affect long-term survival? An 18-year follow-up.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:We tested whether the severity of depressive symptoms in acute stroke and 4 years later are predictors of long-time survival. METHOD:We evaluated the severity of stroke in 82 patients with acute stroke by the Barthel index, the Scandinavian Stroke Scale and the Orgogozo scale, and we also quantified the severity of depressive symptoms by the Beck and the Hamilton scales in the first week of stroke, in 1995. We re-evaluated the scales 4 years after stroke in 41 out of 48 survivors. We checked the survival status of the initial cohort 18 years after stroke. In the assessment Kaplan-Meier graphs were constructed and the outcomes between groups were compared with log-rank tests. RESULTS:Clinically important depressive symptoms (≥10 on the Beck scale) was present in 16 patients (19,5%

SUBMITTER: Kellermann M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6298665 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature