Post-stroke depression, antidepressant treatment and rehabilitation results. A case control study

The aim of this study was to assess the specific influence of poststroke depression (PSD) on both basal functional status and rehabilitation results. We performed a case-control study in 290 stroke inpatients, matched for age (±1 year) and onset admission interval (±3 days) and divided in two groups according to the presence (PSD+) or absence (PSD–) of PSD. All PSD+ patients were treated with antidepressants (AD), mainly with fluoxetine. PSD+ patients, despite similar severity of stroke, showed greater disability in coping with activities of daily living (ADL) on admission and greater disability both in ADL and mobility at discharge than PSD– patients. Although both groups exhibited similar average functional improvement during rehabilitation, PSD– patients were nearly twice as likely to show excellent recovery both on ADL and mobility as PSD+ patients (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.01–3.75 and OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.14–4.35, respectively). All AD drugs improved depressive symptoms. Few relevant side effects were observed: fluoxetine was discontinued in 2 patients because of insomnia and in 2 patients because of nausea; paroxetine was stopped in 1 patient because of nausea and dry mouth. Our results confirm the unfavorable influence of PSD on functional outcome, despite pharmacological treatment.