Early depressed mood after stroke predicts long-term disability: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study (NOMASS).

Background and Purpose—Depression is highly prevalent after stroke and may influence recovery. We aimed to determine whether depressed mood acutely after stroke predicts subsequent disability and mortality. Methods—As part of the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study, a population-based incident stroke case follow-up study performed in a multiethnic urban population, participants were asked about depressed mood within 7 to 10 days after stroke. Participants were followed every 6 months the first 2 years and yearly thereafter for 5 years for death and disability measured by the Barthel Index. We fitted polytomous logistic regression models using a canonical link to examine the association between depressed mood after stroke and disability comparing moderate (Barthel Index 60 to 95) and severe (Barthel Index <60) disability with no disability (Barthel Index ≥95). Cox proportional hazards models were created to examine the association between depressed mood and mortality. Results—A question about depressed mood wi...