ASSESSMENT OF DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN PATHOLOGY - THE CASE OF STROKE

The assessment of depression in patients with brain pathologies-a topi c of considerable clinical and research interest-is complicated by a v ariety of factors. Among the most problematic are cognitive consequenc es of brain injury that can diminish the reliability and validity of i nformation used to diagnose depression, determine its severity: ascert ain its predictors, and evaluate its impact. In this article, the auth ors examine the challenges to depression assessment in patients who ha ve had a stroke, the neurologically impaired population in which it ha s been most frequently studied. Focusing on poststroke depression rese arch, they describe methodological limitations that may contribute to conflicting outcomes and conclusions and offer suggestions for improvi ng the specificity, consistency, validity, and reliability of assessme nt methods and procedures when investigating depression in patients wi th brain pathologies.