Analysis on related factors of depression in the elderly patients with stroke

Objective To analyse related factors of depression in the elderly patients with stroke and to study the effect of antidepression treatment on recovery of neurological function.Methods 377 elderly patients with stroke (cerebral hemorrhage 89 cases and cerebral infarction 288 cases) were assigned to non-depression group(116 patients) and depression group(261 patients) according to Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD_(17)) score.The related factors inducing depression in stroke were analysed.The depression group was further randomly divided into two groups; 135 patients in the treated group were treated with alprazolam and general stroke treatment for 4 weeks,and 126 patients in the control group were treated with general stroke treatment for 4 weeks.HAMD_(17) score,scores of neurological deficit(NDS),scores of sleep dysfunction rating scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score before and after treatment were observed. Results Prevalence rate of depression in patients with cerebral hemorrhage was significantly higher than that in those with cerebral infarction (P 0.05).Compared with non-depression group,rate of stroke which occurred at cerebellum,brain stem,or cerebral hemisphere(frontal lobe) was significantly higher in depression group (F - 0.05).Symptoms such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorder in treated group were significantl improved at end of 2nd,3rd and 4th weeks as compared with control group,the neurological deficit score was significantly decreased as compared with before treatment (P0.05,P0.01).Conclusion There are close relations of depression with property and location of stroke,and degree of neurological deficit in stroke patients. Improvement of depression is favorable for improving neurological deficit of patients.