LESION LOCATION AND POSTSTROKE DEPRESSION

This study examined whether stroke lesions involving left hemisphere p refrontal or basal ganglia structures are associated with poststroke d epression. A consecutive series of first-ever stroke patients with sin gle small lesions on CT scan were examined for the presence and severi ty of poststroke depressive disorder. Lesions involving left prefronta l or basal ganglia structures were compared with other left hemisphere lesions and all right hemisphere lesions. Forty-one patients were exa mined. Patients with lesions involving Left hemisphere prefrontal or b asal ganglia structures had a higher frequency of depressive disorder (9/12; 75%) than other left hemisphere lesions (1/12; 8%) or those wit h right hemisphere lesions (5/17; 29%), P=0.002. Thesefilzninas sugges t that damage to neural pathways within left hemisphere prefrontal or basal ganglia structures is associated with depressed mood following s troke.