TITLE:
Brain CT Findings in First Episode Depression in Older Adults
AUTHORS:
Ezzat Abdel Azeem A. Awad, Heba Mahmoud Fakher Hendawy, Ahmed Kamil Alawady
KEYWORDS:
CVC, CA, HRS, NIHSS
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.5 No.1,
January
9,
2015
ABSTRACT: Introduction:Different studies
reported the strong relationship between cerebrovascular changes (CVC) and
depression. Moreover, many researchers tried to correlate between the
pathogenesis and location of the CVC and severity of depression. Methods: In
this study we looked for the possibility of presence of CVC in patients with an
age ranging from 60 - 75 years, presented to psychiatric clinics and hospitals
in Hail, Saudi Arabia and diagnosed for the first time with depression. All
patients have been diagnosed neither with cerebral attacks (CA) nor with
depression. A cross sectional study was done on 149 patients. Hamilton rating
scale (HRS) for depression was used to evaluate the severity of depression
before staring any treatment. National institutes of health stroke scale
(NIHSS) was applied for all the patients to exclude any possibility of CA.
Brain CT was done to all patients to detect an evidence of CVC. Results:
According to the CT findings, the patients were divided into four groups: Group
1 with normal CT findings; Group 2 with ischemic changes; Group 3 with single
lacunar infraction; and Group 4 with multiple lacunar infarctions. After analyzing
the results and correlating the severity of depression and CT findings in the
four different groups we found significance in the correlation between severity
of depression and the presence of minor strokes. Conclusions: A first episode
of depression in older adult patients may indicate the presence of minor or
silent stroke or CA.