Delirium post-stroke: short- to long-term effect on anxiety and depression compared to effect on cognition

Background Delirium is common after stroke and has significant negative impact on mortality, morbidity, cognitive function, and institutionalization. Despite these known effects, any impact of delirium on the emotional well-being of stroke survivors is unclear. Methods A post hoc analysis was performed on our prospective cohort study of 156 stroke patients. Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale scores were compared between patients with delirium and patients without delirium at 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month post-stroke. Results Contrary to the negative impact of delirium on cognition and functional status, we did not discern any influence on HAD scale scores in the short to long term. The median scores of the HAD anxiety scale were 4 (interquartile range IQR 3) at 1 month, 5.5 (IQR 8.75) at 6 months, and 6 (IQR 5) at 12 months in the delirium group compared to 5 (IQR 7) at 1 month (p = 0.6), 4 (IQR 7) at 6 months (p = 0.4), and 6 (IQR 5.75) at 12 months (p = 0.9) in the non-delirium group, respectively. Similarly, the median scores of the HAD depression scale were 5 (IQR 4) at 1 month, 4 (IQR 6.5) at 6 months, and 3 (IQR 6) at 12 months in the delirium group compared to 6 (IQR 5.75) at 1 month (p = 0.9), 5 (IQR 7) at 6 months (p = 0.9), and 6 (IQR 5) at 12 months (p = 0.5) in the non-delirium group. Conclusion Delirium may not have a significant effect on the development of anxiety or depression after stroke which differs in its effect on cognitive function and functional status.