The influence of depression on the effectiveness of post-CVA motor rehabilitation

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke has been consolidated among the three main causes of mortality and the main reason for disability in adults in the world. After these events, most survivors undergo rehabilitation treatment after hospital discharge, aiming at returning to daily activities and overcoming mobility and communication limitations. However, some factors may be involved with a poor prognosis and low effectiveness of rehabilitation in certain cases, such as depression. Objective: To evaluate the impact of depression on the effectiveness of post-stroke motor rehabilitation. Methods: This is a narrative literature review through the analysis of articles published between 2018 and 2022 in Pubmed, Scielo and Lilacs databases. “Stroke”, “Depression” and “Rehabilitation” were used as descriptors. Results: A total of 18 articles were found from the use of descriptors, and 6 articles were included in the study, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Conclusion: It is concluded that depressive symptoms exert a negative influence on the post-stroke patient’s motor rehabilitation process and, therefore, should be screened and mitigated early, since they have the potential both to delay treatment results and reduce process efficiency.