Post stroke depression underdiagnosed undertreated underestimated Definition Better

Post stroke depression underdiagnosed, undertreated, underestimated?

Definition • Better to speak of neuropsychiatric disorders with cerebrovascular disease • Includes depression, anxiety, apathy, cognitive impairment, mania, psychosis, pathological affective display, catastrophic reactions, anosognosia

DSM 5 criteria • Vascular depression (associated with microangiopathy) • PSD • Due to stroke with “depressive features, major depression-like episode or mixed mood features” • Depressed features or loss of interest or pleasure with four other symptoms of depression, lasting more than 2 weeks

Differing from geriatric depression without vascular genesis • Greater cognitive impairment • Greater physical impairment • Poor response to treatment (? ) • Less family and personal history • More cardiovascular risk factors (associated with severity of depression? )

Incidence and prevalence • Stroke risk between 1020 in 10000 (55 -64 yo) abd 200 in 10000 (>85 y olds) • Around 31% of stroke patients at any time within 5 y after stroke • Previous analysis up to 52% cumulative risk • Caution> meta analysis, not distinguishing between major depression and other forms, other formal weaknesses

Personal experiences?

Risk factors • Genetic factors: • 5 -HTTLPR and STin 2 VTNR polymorphisms • DNA methylation status

Coincidence ?

Other factors: • Gender? • Age? • Cardiovascular risk factors surprisingly not • Depression in men underdiagnosed • Diabetes • Personal and possibly family history

Stroke characateristic and lesion • Mechanism apparently irrelevant • Localisation (left frontal, proximity to frontal pole) – better evidence shortly after stroke • Size of stroke, physical disability • Cognitive impairment more important than physical

Pathomechanisms

Candidates • Disruption of prefrontal- • Transcortical magnet subcortical circuits stimulation only effective if directed at • Increased activation of this area the default mode network, decreased activation of task related networks, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Reverse causality

Other biological factors: alterations in Ascending monoamine systems Hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis Alterations in neuroplasticity Excess in proinflammatory cytokines, cortisol Altered glutamate levels in the cingulate cortex • Hypothesis for the efficacy of SSRI increased neuroplasticity, hippocampal neurogenesis (? ) • BDNF, interleukin levels (serum) predictive

Detection • Patient Health Questionaire?

Geriatric depression scale (short)

Consequences • Depression severity predictive of impairment of ADLs • Increased mortality (even with mild PSD). One study reports oddratio of 1. 41 at 5 Years

Therapy • Significant effect of SSRI and Tricyclics • No evidence for treatment of nondepressed patients

Complications • SSRI increased risk of haemorrhagic complications • Increased risk of falls • Increased risk for stroke, myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality • Relapse all depression if premature cessation of therapy 80%

Prevention • Psychotherapy better evidence than in treatment • Number of social ties inversely related to severity • Marital status, living situation not correlated • Lack of social support at admission increased risk • Citalopram vs problem solving therapy vs placebo 8. 5% vs 11. 9% vs 22. 4% (n=58)

Future research