The Relationship Between Apathy After Stroke And Cognitive Impairment And Depression

Objective To investigate the situation and characteristic of apathy, cognitive impairment, depression of the stroke, and to learn the relationshios of them. Thus clinicians give stroke patients targeted interventions and treatment, It’s significant to relieve patient’s suffering, lighten the families cares pressure in the whole society.Methods92cases diagnosed stroke patients came from impatient of the first Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from january2012to january2013.We use the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Mini-Mental Sate Examination (MMSE), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),Modified Apathy Evaluation Scale (MAES), as to evaluate the relationship about cognitive function, depression and apathy. Then to collate the gathered information to quantify the analytical variables and carry out the appropriate statistical analysis.Results In92stroke patients, apathy respectively are26.1%and20.7%in land3month after disease, depression respectively are31.5%and28.3%, cognitive impairment respectively are14.1%and28.3%. There were no significant differences between groups (apathy and no apathy) according to age, gender, education, total number of vascular risk factors(Including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, smoking, hyperlipemia) or stroke severity at baseline(P>0.05). Over time, the proportion of people with either pure apathy or depression decreased but the number of people with comorbid apathy and depression from6.5%increased to16.3%, the overlap might be due to cumulative vascular pathology and because of the relationship of each of these syndromes to dementia, Those in the apathetic and comorbid groups presented with the lowest scores on the MMSE scale(P<0.05). The key finding here is that people with apathy have significant global cognitive and functional impairment. Statistical analysis showed that depression can be exist alone, independent of the severity of stroke, cognitive impairment and apathy.Conclusions Apathy is common in patients with stroke symptoms. There is growing recognition that apathy is not only a symptom of depression but may be an independent syndrome. And with the severity of cognitive dysfunction was significantly related, then depressive are independent of each other. Somatoform symptoms of stroke patients for depression expanded, resulting in physical function and social function defects, also depression of stroke patients should lead topsychological adjustment function abate which in chronic disease. Depression also can directly increase cognitive impairment. Has the vital treatment significance for accurate identification of apathy and depression.