Psychopathological disorders and quality of life in patients with brain infarction

Abstract Objectives To study the influence of various factors on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients who have suffered a brain infarction (BI), with special attention to psychopathological disorders (PD). Patients and methods Prospective observational study on 45 patients admitted due to a BI, evaluated at 4, 12 and 26 weeks of the acute event. Social and demographic data, and medical history were collected; the SF-36 scale was used for the assessment of HRQoL, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), MMSE, Canadian Neurological Scale, Modified Rankin Scale and other instruments for assessing psychopathological, cognitive, neurological and functional status. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential predictors of the SF-36 scores at 26 weeks, introducing, as independent variables, medical and psychiatric history, demographic characteristics and the functional, neuropsychological and psychopathological assessments at 4 weeks. Results Valid predictive models for all the SF-36 domains were obtained, in which a history of pre-morbid depression, higher scores in the NPI and Rankin Scale, and lowest in the Canadian Neurological Scale were the main predictors of a worse HRQoL in the long term. Psychopathology related caregiver's distress (assessed with the NPI) was associated with a lower score in the social function index. Conclusions PDs and functional status were the main determinants of HRQoL in patients with BI.