Post-Stroke Psychological Distress (PoSt PsyDis)

The interaction between psychiatric disorders and stroke is highly complex. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is among the most frequent neuropsychiatric consequences of stroke; moreover, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent after life-threatening medical events, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Both disorders negatively impact stroke outcome with increased morbidity, mortality and poorer functional recovery. The aim of the PostPsydis (Post Stroke Psychological Distress) study was to examine the prevalence of Post-stroke depression and stroke-induced PTSD, relating to affective symptomatology, as well as to cognitive decline due to stress-related hypercortisolemia in the early phase after stroke. Extended MRI studies including a functional connectivity (fc-MRI) paradigm have been incorporated to study on subacute midbrain neurodegeneration as a possible morphological correlate of functional and clinical findings.