While depression is a common problem for people who have had a stroke, some people may have symptoms of depression years before their stroke, according to a study published in the July 13, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Symptoms of depression preceded the onset of stroke and further worsened after the stroke

Researchers found that, in people who developed a stroke, symptoms of depression preceded the onset of stroke and further worsened after the stroke. “Depression is among the most pressing problems in people who have had a stroke and it is so common it is referred to as post-stroke depression,” said study author Maria Blöchl, PhD, of the University of Münster in Germany.

But our study found depressive symptoms not only markedly increase after stroke, it found people already had developed some depressive symptoms before the stroke even occurred.” For the study, researchers looked at 10,797 adults with an average age ...

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