PTOTCohortArchives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation2025

Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Reduced Unsupervised Training Engagement in Inpatients With Subacute Stroke: A Secondary Data Analysis Study.

Kazuaki Oyake, Kaori Takahashi, Aiko Arikawa and 4 others

PMID 40463772

WHAT IT FOUND

Inpatients with subacute stroke who had depressive symptoms spent significantly less time in unsupervised leg cycle training than those without.

This association was not seen with apathy alone or with functional outcomes at discharge.

Key findings

01Participants with depressive symptoms spent a median of 367 seconds in unsupervised training, compared to 888 seconds for those without.

02Depressive symptoms were not associated with differences in Functional Independence Measure motor scores at discharge or length of stay.

03The difference in unsupervised training time between participants with and without apathy did not reach statistical significance.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs

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What it does not show

The study used a small sample size (n=34) from a secondary analysis. Depressive symptoms were assessed using a screening tool (GDS-S) rather than a clinical diagnosis by a psychiatrist. The study did not assess potential confounders like medication or level of consciousness. Follow-up was relatively short, limiting conclusions about long-term functional recovery. Results may not apply to patients with severe motor or cognitive impairment who cannot perform unsupervised training.

Declared interests

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume that treating depressive symptoms will directly improve functional outcomes like discharge scores or length of stay, as this study found no association between depressive symptoms and these secondary outcomes.

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