Effect of Post-stroke Depression on Functional Outcomes of Patients With Stroke in the Rehabilitation Ward: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Yoshitaka Wada, Yohei Otaka, Taiki Yoshida and 7 others
PMID 38163038WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke patients with depression had lower functional independence scores at discharge and stayed in rehabilitation longer.
However, their total improvement in independence during the stay was similar to patients without depression. Depression slowed recovery speed but did not stop progress.
Key findings
01Patients with depression had significantly lower total functional independence scores at discharge compared to those without depression.
02There was no significant difference in the total gain of functional independence scores between the depression and non-depression groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Single-center retrospective design in Japan limits generalizability to other populations and settings. Small sample size, with only 11 patients in the depression group. Depression status was assessed only at admission (two weeks post-admission) and not at discharge, so changes in mood during recovery are unknown. Could not adjust for other factors influencing functional outcomes through multiple regression. Excluded patients who could not complete the depression screening due to severe cognitive impairment or aphasia, potentially biasing the sample toward those with milder impairments.
Declared interests
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Fujita Health University. No specific funding sources or author conflicts of interest are explicitly detailed in the provided text beyond the institutional affiliation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that depression prevents functional recovery. The study found that patients with depression had similar total gains in functional independence scores compared to those without depression, but they took significantly longer to achieve these gains.