Pontine microbleeds and depression in stroke

W K Tang; X X Liu; Y K Chen; J Abrigo; Winnie C W Chu; V C T Mok; Gabor S Ungvari; K S Wong

doi:10.1177/0891988714522699

Pontine microbleeds and depression in stroke

J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2014 Sep;27(3):159-64. doi: 10.1177/0891988714522699. Epub 2014 Feb 17.

Authors

W K Tang¹, X X Liu², Y K Chen³, J Abrigo⁴, Winnie C W Chu⁴, V C T Mok⁵, Gabor S Ungvari⁶, K S Wong⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China tangwk@cuhk.edu.hk.
² Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
³ Department of Neurology, Dongguan People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, China.
⁴ Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁵ Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁶ The University of Notre Dame Australia/Marian Centre, Perth, Australia School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Western Australia, Pert, Australia.

PMID: 24550561
DOI: 10.1177/0891988714522699

Abstract

Objectives: Depression is the most common affective disorder following stroke yet the neuroanatomical model of poststroke depression (PSD) remains unclear. This study examined the association between PSD and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and hypothesized that CMBs in specific regions would be associated with PSD.

Methods: Of the 4766 patients with first ever or recurrent acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Acute Stroke Unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital between June 2004 and October 2010, 229 met the entry criteria and formed the study sample. Patients with a Geriatric Depression Scale score of 7 or above were classified as having PSD. The presence and location of CMBs were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: Compared to the non-PSD group, patients with PSD were more likely to have pontine CMBs (32.0% vs 18.2%; P = .019). The presence of pontine CMBs remained an independent predictor of PSD in the multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 2.2 (P = .016).

Conclusion: The results suggest that pontine CMBs are associated with a higher risk of developing PSD.

Keywords: GDS; MRI; depression; microbleeds; pons; stroke.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Cerebral Hemorrhage / psychology*
Depressive Disorder / epidemiology*
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Odds Ratio
Risk Assessment
Stroke / psychology*