Effect of escitalopram on psychology and quality of life in patients suffering from post-stroke depression

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of escitalopram on psychology and quality of life in patients suffering frol post-stroke depression(PSD).METHODS 132 PSD patients were randomly divided into escitalopram group and amitriptyline group,and respectively received escitalopram and amitriptyline.The treatment course was 6 weeks.The efficacy on psychology and quality of life was evaluated by Hamilton Rating Scale for depression(HAMD) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version(WHOQOL-BREF) before and after treatment in both groups.The adverse reaction was evaluated by the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS).RESULTS The HAMD scores in escitalopram group at 2nd and 4th week were respectively 17.3±4.2 and 14.0±3.2,which were both significantly lower than those in amitriptyline group(P0.01),but the HAMD scores in both group at 6th week were not significantly different(P0.05).The mean WHOQOL-BREF score in escitalopram group at 6th week was 22.4±3.3,which was significantly higher than that in escitalopram group(P0.01).TESS scores in the escitalopram group at 2nd,4th and 6th week were respectively 2.52±0.46,3.08±0.73 and 3.54±0.89,which were significantly lower than those in amitriptyline group(P0.01).CONCLUSION Escitalopram and amitriptyline have the resemble long-term effect on the psychology in patients with post-stroke depression,but escitalopram has better short-term effect on the psychology;escitalopram has better effect on the quality of life in patients suffering from post-stroke depression,and has more slight adverse reactions.