Mood Change following Bilateral Hemisphere Brain Injury

Abstract

Summary: Fifteen patients with bilateral hemisphere brain injury secondary to thromboembolic stroke or trauma were evaluated for depression, cognitive impairment, and functional physical impairment. Analysis of CT scans and standardized mood scales revealed that patients with left anterior brain injury were significantly more depressed than patients without such injury. Depression severity was directly and significantly correlated with left lesion proximity to the frontal pole. Left lesion age, lesion temporal sequence, right lesion location, cognitive impairment, and functional physical impairment did not significantly correlate with depression. Depressive symptomatology previously shown to be associated with single left frontal lobe lesions appeared to dominate post-brain injury psychopathology regardless of location or temporal sequence of other brain lesions.