Nondysphoric depression following stroke.

Right hemisphere damage may influence the presentation of depressive disorders ensuing after stroke by disrupting emotion processing mechanisms. Three-hundred and one consecutive admissions for acute stroke were examined and subjects meeting previously validated criteria for nondysphoric depression (i.e.

Preventing poststroke depression: a 12-week double-blind randomized treatment trial and 21-month follow-up.

This study examined the effect of antidepressants in preventing depression after stroke. Nondepressed poststroke patients (N = 48) were randomly assigned to receive nortriptyline, fluoxetine, or placebo for 3 months by using double-blind methodology and were followed-up for 21 months by using a naturalistic design. During the treatment period, one minor depression developed in the nortriptyline group (n = 13 at 3 months), one minor depression developed in the fluoxetine group (n = 13), and five minor depressions developed in the placebo group (n = 15; p <.