Natural patterns of change in poststroke depressive symptoms and function

The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns of change in depressive symptoms and function in ischemic stroke patients 0 to 3 months poststroke. Twenty-three newly diagnosed ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in a study with nonrandomized prospective longitudinal design to assess function and depressive symptoms on admission, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months poststroke in a tertiary care acute rehabilitation center in the Midwest. Participants' mean age was (69 ± 11.9), Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE ≥ 23), and NIH Stroke Scale (M = 2.8, SD =±2.3), and thus cognitively intact. Results suggest that the dominant pattern emerging for function (Functional Independence Measure) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) showed significant improvement relative to baseline at 2 weeks poststroke and reached a plateau thereafter. The results may suggest that as stroke survivors gain independence in accomplishing activities of daily living, their moods improve as well.