Clinical studies on event-related potentials (ERPs) N400 and the related factors in patients with poststroke depression (PSD).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate event-related potentials (ERPs), N400, and the related factors in patients with poststroke depression (PSD).

METHODS

Eighty-five stroke patients with depression, conforming to the diagnoses standard of Chinese Classification of Mental Diseases (3rd edition) (CCMD-3), were treated with fluoxetine hydrochloride for 3 months and another 85 stroke patients without depression were selected as the control group. The traits about N400 and blood platelet 5-HT concentrations of all patients were measured.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between the incubation periods and average amplitudes of N400 in patients with PSD and those in patients without PSD (p < 0.01), while the blood platelet 5-HT concentrations of PSD patients were much lower than those of the patients without PSD (p < 0.01). For PSD patients, the N400 incubation periods were significantly shortened, averaged amplitudes were significantly increased (p < 0.01), and the blood platelet 5-HT concentrations were significantly raised after 3 months' treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

For ERPs N400 in PSD patients, the incubation period is significantly prolonged and the average amplitude is reduced. Blood platelet 5-HT concentration may influence ERPs N400 in PSD patients.

SIGNIFICANCE

N400 detections are helpful to the early diagnostic of PSD, and provide objective electrophysiology indexes for follow-up visits.