The prolactin response to buspirone in poststroke depression: a preliminary report

Background: The issue of whether a serotonergic abnormality is involved in poststroke depression (PSD) was investigated in a sample of poststroke patients. Methods: The severity of depression was assessed by Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS). Buspirone was administered to 16 depressed poststroke (DPS), 10 non-depressed post-stroke (NDPS) patients, and 10 male healthy controls (HCs), to evaluate serotonin (5-HT) function. Results: The prolactin (PRL) response was significantly blunted in DPS patients compared to HCs. There was no significant relationship between the severity of depression and lesion lateralization. Also, no significant differences in buspirone-induced PRL responses were found between DPS patients with right- and left-sided lesions. The severity of depression in DPS patients was not correlated with the time since stroke. Conclusions: Our results suggest that serotonergic dysfunction may involve in development of poststroke depression. Limitations: The relatively small sample size and the failure to adequately control for age are major limitations of this study.