Effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life in five common neurological disorders.

Background: It is unclear whether anxiety and depression impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL) equally across neurological diseases. This study examines the association between anxiety or depression and HRQoL in select neurological disorders.

Methods: HRQoL was measured using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) in neurological patients: epilepsy (n = 279), migraine (n = 268), multiple sclerosis (MS) (n = 222), stroke (n = 204), and Parkinson's disease (PD) (n = 224).

Validating screening tools for depression in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.

Objective: The best screening questionnaires for detecting post-stroke depression have not been identified. We aimed to validate four commonly used depression screening tools in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.

Methods: Consecutive stroke and transient ischemic attack patients visiting an outpatient stroke clinic in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) completed a demographic questionnaire and four depression screening tools: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9, PHQ-2, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15).