Clinical study of event-related potential P300 in early diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke depression

Abstract

Objective To explore the role of event-related potential P300 in early diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke depression. Methods Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD) assessment was adopted to assess 67 patients of first time stroke at 2 weeks.The patients with stroke were divided into four groups: mild post-stroke depression group (n=15), moderate post-stroke depression group (n=11), severe post-stroke depression group (n=4) and non-depression group(n=37).30 patients of post-stroke depression were divided into two groups randomly: treatment with fluoxetine 3 months(n=15) and unused anti-depression drugs(n=15). At 3 months, P300 was executed again in all of patients of post-stroke depression. Results The P300 latency of the patients of the post-stroke depression group[(351.30±22.48)ms] was significantly prolonged than the patients of the non-depression group[(320.92±15.45)ms](t=-6.295, P<0.01), and the P300 amplitude of the patients of the post-stroke depression group [(5.09±1.47)μV] was also reduced significantly compared with the patients of the non-depression group[(6.47±1.74)μV](t=3.475, P<0.01). The P300 latency among the patients of the four gourps had significant difference(F=24.484, P<0.01). While the means of P300 latency of the patients in the moderate post-stroke depression group[(362.73±20.56)ms] and the severe post-stroke depression group[(369.75±22.54)ms] were obviously prolonged than that in the mild post-stroke depression group[(338.00±15.70)ms] and the non-depression group[(320.92±15.45)ms](all P<0.05), but there was no difference in the P300 latency between the moderate post-stroke depression group and the severe post-stroke depression group.The mean score of P300 latency after treatment with fluoxetine in the post-stroke depression group[(326.40±24.42)ms] was significantly shorten compared with (356.13±25.76)ms of before treatment(t=5.173, P<0.01), and also obviously shorten than (342.07±21.24)ms of the unused anti-depression drugs group(t=2.058, P<0.05). Conclusion P300 latency and amplitude may be used as an indicator in early diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke depression. Key words: Depression; Stroke; Event-related potentials, P300; Fluoxetine