Relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive status in acute ischemic stroke

Abstract

Depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment frequently occur already in the acute phase of ischemic stroke. The aim of the study was to determine whether there was an association between depressive symptoms and different domains of the cognitive status in acute ischemic stroke patients and to identify cognitive domains that significantly correlated with the presence of depressive symptoms. The study comprised 40 acute ischemic stroke patients (26 men and 14 women) aged 45-78 years, with 8-16 years of education. The presence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the self-reported Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), whereas the cognitive status was evaluated using a comprehensive neuropsychological testing battery measuring performance in different cognitive domains. The following domains were evaluated: executive function, language, immediate recall, delayed recall, attention, divergent reasoning, and visual-constructive performance in two dimensions. The multiple regression analysis was applied. The results showed a significant association between the presence of depressive symptoms and different cognitive domains. The domain of language was found to be a significant partial predictor of depression, with poorer performance in this domain correlating with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.

Keywords

• depressive symptoms
• cognitive status
• acute ischemic stroke