Objective

Depression affects many people following their stroke (between 30 and 60%). It can occur in the days following the attack but several years later. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of depression and anxiety in our patients after stroke followed for post-stroke hemiplegia.

Material/Patients and methods

Prospective study over 6 months from 10 September 2014 to 10 March 2015. It covered all cases of stroke supported the MPR service during this period were excluded patients with severe aphasia. We used wide HAD depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Sigmond and Snaith).

Results

Of 64 hemiplegic patients treated in our department had only 18 patients post-stroke depression (26.5%) and 14 patients a state of anxiety (20.6%), the mean age was 57.14 years with a range from 17 to 87 years, the sex-ratio was 1.1 for women, all had an ischemic stroke; 4 patients had impaired depression (5.9%) and 14 patients (2to 6%) a depression; 8 patients a questionable state of anxiety (11.8%) and 6 patients (0.9%) a state of anxiety. Antidepressant treatment was instituted for the 18 patients with good evolution.

Discussion – Conclusion

Post-stroke depression is common. In our study, we found a relatively low frequency, due to our small sample. It compromises the functional prognosis source of demotivation patients especially for rehabilitation. Its onset is early after stroke, its incidence is high and there is a clear predominance of somatic and cognitive symptoms of depression: relationship to certain encephalic locations.

Conclusion

Post-stroke depression should be sought systematically in all hemiplegic, especially in the early phase and at regular interviews with family, adequate antidepressant treatment is to achieve.