ABSTRACT
Depression is common in patients with stroke and other neurological conditions. Accurate
assessment and diagnosis is critical in understanding the causes of mood disturbance
in these patients and in establishing effective treatments. Examination of mood states,
however, is difficult in patients with aphasia, impaired emotional expression, and
other communication and cognitive difficulties. Most standardized measures of mood
are inappropriate for this population due to the instruments' linguistic, attention,
and other cognitive demands. The Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS) are psychometrically
sound measures, developed specifically for neurologically impaired patients in general
and aphasic patients in particular. These very brief scales assess eight mood states:
sad, happy, tense, afraid, tired, energetic, confused, and angry. The utility of these
scales in clinical practice is presented, as are specific recommendations and guidelines
for the assessment of mood in patients with aphasia and other communication deficits.
KEY WORDS
mood - aphasia - depression - stroke - visual analog mood scales
