A reappraisal of poststroke depression, intra- and inter-hemispheric lesion location using meta-analysis.

A recent publication based on a meta-analysis concluded that there was no association between poststroke depression (PSD) and lesion location. This study, therefore, was undertaken to reappraise the hypothesis using meta-analysis of the correlation between severity of depression following stroke and proximity of the lesion to the frontal pole, an issue that was not examined in the prior meta-analysis. Results showed there was a significant inverse correlation between severity of depression and distance of the lesion from the frontal pole among 163 patients with left hemisphere stroke but not among 106 patients with right hemisphere stroke.

Does cognitive recovery after treatment of poststroke depression last? A 2-year follow-up of cognitive function associated with poststroke depression.

Objective: Cognitive impairment is common after stroke and may be caused by poststroke depression. Remission of poststroke major depression after treatment has been associated with improvement in cognitive function. The current study was designed to examine how long that cognitive improvement lasts and to compare depressed patients' cognitive status with that of nondepressed patients with comparable lesions.