A pilot study to describe antidepressant prescriptions dispensed to veterans after stroke

Effects of chronic antidepressant use on neurophysiological responses to tDCS post-stroke

BACKGROUND

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces neuroplastic changes in the motor cortex of healthy individuals and has become a candidate intervention to promote recovery post-stroke. However, neurophysiological effects of tDCS in stroke are poorly understood. Antidepressant medications, which are commonly prescribed post-stroke, have the potential to significantly affect cortical excitability and alter responsiveness to tDCS interventions, yet these effects have not previously been examined.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS

To examine the effects of chronic antidepressant use, tDCS, and the interaction of the two on motor cortical excitability in people with chronic stroke. Based on previous literature in nondisabled adults, we hypothesized that post-stroke, antidepressant-takers would show decreased baseline motor cortical excitability but enhanced responsiveness to anodal tDCS.

METHODS

Twenty-six participants with chronic stroke (17 control, 9 antidepressant) received real and sham anodal tDCS during separate sessions at least a week apart. Motor cortical excitability was measured before and after tDCS was applied to the lesioned hemisphere primary motor cortex. We compared baseline cortical excitability and neurophysiological responses to tDCS between groups and sessions.

RESULTS

Baseline motor cortical excitability was not different between control and antidepressant groups. Following anodal tDCS over the ipsilesional primary motor cortex, cortical excitability in the non-lesioned hemisphere decreased in controls, but, surprisingly, increased in antidepressant-takers.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic antidepressant use may not affect motor cortical excitability post-stroke, however it appears to reverse some of the expected effects of tDCS. Therefore future utilization of tDCS in post-stroke neurorehabilitation research should take antidepressant medication status into account.

Prevalence, patterns and predictors of depression treatment among community-dwelling older adults with stroke in the United States: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric conditions among stroke survivors and is associated with several negative health outcomes. However, little is known about the depression treatment patterns among stroke survivors. The objective of this study was to examine national-level prevalence, patterns and predictors of depression treatment among community-dwelling stroke survivors.

METHODS

This study adopted a retrospective, cross-sectional study design using multiple years of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (2002-2012) data. The study population consisted of older adults (age ≥ 50 years) who (i) were stroke survivors (ICD-9-CM codes of 430-438), (ii) did not die during the calendar year, and (iii) had co-occurring depression (ICD-9-CM code of 296.xx, or 311.xx). Depression treatment, identified by antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy use, was the dependent variable of this study. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of individual level factors with depression treatment among stroke survivors with co-occurring depression.

RESULTS

The final study sample consisted 370 (unweighted) community-dwelling older adults with self-reported stroke and depression. The prevalence of co-occurring depression among stroke survivors was 22.03% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 19.7-24.4%]. An overwhelming majority (87.6%) of stroke survivors with co-occurring depression reported some form of depression treatment. Antidepressants only and combination therapy was reported by 74.8% (95% CI, 71.6-78.0%] and 12.8% (95% CI, 10.5-15.1%) by stroke survivors with co-occurring depression respectively. Approximately, 61% of stroke survivors with co-occurring depression reported using SSRIs, followed by SNRIs (15.2%), miscellaneous antidepressants (12.1%), TCAs (9.8%), phenylpiperazine antidepressants (5.2%), and tetracyclic antidepressants (4%). Sertraline (15.8, 95% CI, 12.7-19.0%) had the highest reported use among individual antidepressants.

CONCLUSIONS

Vast majority (nearly 90%) of the study sample received some form of depression treatment and several individual level factors (such as age, education) were associated with the report of depression treatment use. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the comparative treatment benefits of antidepressants, psychotherapy and their combination. Healthcare providers should carefully assess the risks and benefits of antidepressant (such as SSRIs or TCAs) use in this vulnerable population prior to their use.

Detection and treatment of post stroke depression: results from the registry of the Canadian stroke network

BACKGROUND

Depression occurs in approximately one-third of patients following stroke based on studies that screen entire stroke populations. Less is known about the detection and treatment of post stroke depression (PSD) in routine clinical practice.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of 7643 consecutive stroke patients >66 years of age, from 13 designated stroke centres in Ontario, Canada. PSD was defined as (a) presence of strong evidence of depression documented in the patient chart plus a prescribed antidepressant and a psychiatric consult, or (b) prescription of a new antidepressant following admission. The prevalence of PSD was determined and patients with and without PSD were compared on a variety of measures. Patients admitted to specialized stroke units were compared to patients admitted to standard units in order to determine if PSD detection and treatment rates differed.

RESULTS

PSD was diagnosed in 4.8%, and 6.7% were treated with a new antidepressant. Patients with PSD had more severe strokes, more functional handicap, longer hospital stays and were less likely to be discharged home (all p < 0.001). Patients admitted to specialized stroke units were more likely to be diagnosed with depression (5.2% vs 4.0%, p < 0.014) and were more likely to receive a new prescription for an antidepressant (7.8% vs 4.5%; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of diagnosed and treated PSD in routine clinical practice are low and appear significantly lower than those from studies that utilize active screening of entire stroke populations. These results support the routine screening of all patients for PSD using validated instruments. Specialized stroke unit care may improve PSD detection and treatment rates.

Pre-post evaluation of automated reminders may improve detection and management of post-stroke depression

BACKGROUND

Post-stroke depression (PSD) occurs in at least one-third of stroke survivors, is associated with worse functional outcomes and increased mortality, and is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic medical record-based system intervention to improve the proportion of veterans screened and treated for PSD.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study comparing PSD screening and treatment among veterans receiving post-stroke outpatient care one year prior to the intervention (the control group) to those receiving outpatient care during the intervention period (the intervention group); contemporaneous data from non-study sites included to assess temporal trends in depression diagnosis and treatment.

PARTICIPANTS

Veterans hospitalized for ischemic stroke and/or receiving primary care (PC) or neurology outpatient follow-up within six months post-stroke at two (Veterans Affairs) VA Medical Centers.

INTERVENTIONS

We formed clinical improvement teams at both sites. Teams developed PSD screening and treatment reminders and designed tailored implementation strategies for reminder use in PC and neurology clinics.

MAIN MEASURES

Proportion screened for PSD within 6 months post-stroke; proportion screening positive for PSD who received an appropriate treatment action within 6 months post-stroke.

KEY RESULTS

In unadjusted analyses, PSD screening was performed within 6 months for 85% of intervention (N = 278) vs. 50% of control (N = 374) patients (OR 6.2 , p < 0.001), and treatment action was received by 83% of intervention vs. 73% of control patients who screened positive (OR 1.8 p = 0.13). After adjusting for intervention, site and number of follow-up visits, intervention patients were more likely to be screened (OR 4.8, p < 0.001) and to receive a treatment action if screened positive (OR 2.45, p = 0.05). Analyses of temporal trends in non-study sites revealed no trend toward general increase in PSD detection or treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Automated depression screening in primary and specialty care can improve detection and treatment of PSD.

Depression and increased risk of death in adults with stroke

OBJECTIVE

Depression is a common condition among individuals with stroke and believed to influence post-stroke mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of depression on all-cause mortality among adults with and without a history of stroke.

METHODS

We studied 10,025 participants in the population-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study who were alive and interviewed in 1982 and had complete data for the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Four groups were created based on history of stroke and depression status in 1982: (1) no stroke, no depression (reference group); (2) no stroke, depression present; (3) history of stroke, no depression; and (4) history of stroke present, depression present. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of death for each group compared with the reference group.

RESULTS

Over 8 years (83,624 person-years of follow-up), 1,925 deaths were documented. Mortality rate per 1,000 person-years of follow-up was highest in the group with both a history of stroke and depression. Compared with the reference group, HRs for all-cause mortality were: no stroke, depression present, 1.23 (95% CI 1.08-1.40); stroke present, no depression 1.74 (1.06-2.85); and stroke present, depression present, 1.88 (1.27-2.79).

CONCLUSIONS

The coexistence of stroke and depression increases the risk of death; however, the combined effect is less than additive.

Racial and ethnic disparities in post-stroke depression detection

OBJECTIVES

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is common among stroke survivors and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Little is understood about racial/ethnic differences in PSD detection. This study assessed the racial/ethnic disparities in PSD detection in a national cohort of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acute stroke patients.

METHODS

The study included VA patients who: received inpatient care for acute stroke within 2001; survived >60 days post-index hospitalization; had an index stay <365 days; and were confirmed VA healthcare enrollees. PSD was established if a patient had a depression diagnosis in VA or Medicare inpatient or outpatient files, or was dispensed an antidepressant with guideline recommended minimum daily dosage during the 12 months post stroke. A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to estimate the effects of race/ethnicity on PSD detection, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors.

RESULTS

The study cohort (N = 5825) was comprised of 66% white, 22% black, 7% Hispanic, and 6% for all other racial/ethnic categories. Among these stroke patients, 39% had PSD. Black and 'all other' racial/ethnic categories were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with PSD than non-Hispanic whites, even adjusting for potential risk factors.

CONCLUSION

White, non-Hispanic VA acute stroke patients were more likely to be diagnosed with PSD, even controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Whether these findings suggest racial/ethnic differences in symptom endorsement by patients or in symptom recognition by providers is not clear.

The Impact of Poststroke Depression on Healthcare Use by Veterans With Acute Stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Poststroke depression (PSD) is common among stroke survivors, and it is associated with worse functional outcomes and increased poststroke mortality. Limited information is available about its impact on healthcare use. This study assessed the impact of PSD on healthcare use by veterans with acute stroke.

METHODS

In this retrospective, observational national study, 5825 veterans with acute stroke were identified from Veterans Affairs' (VA) inpatient databases. To determine the patients' comprehensive PSD and use status, VA and Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient as well as VA pharmacy data were used. PSD was established if a patient had an inpatient or outpatient depression diagnosis or if a patient received one of the antidepressants within the VA 12 months postindex stroke. Healthcare use referred to the number of hospital stays, outpatient visits, and cumulative length of inpatient stays under both VA and Medicare fee-for-service programs. Poisson regression was fitted to estimate the impact of PSD on use controlling for sociodemographic, clinical, and disease severity factors.

RESULTS

Forty-one percent of the sample had PSD. After adjusting for patient demographic and clinical factors, we found that the patients with stroke with PSD had significantly (P<0.0001) more hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and longer length of stays 12 months poststroke compared with these patients with stroke without PSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PSD had greater 12-month poststroke healthcare use even when controlling for other demographic and clinical variables. Early detection and appropriate management of PSD for veterans with acute stroke may help reduce their poststroke healthcare use.