White matter hyperintensities and post-stroke depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common emotional problem following a stroke. White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are often reported in patients with a stroke, and are often divided into deep WMHs (DWMHs) and periventricular WMHs (PVWMHs). The relationship between WMHs and PSD remains controversial. This review aims to resolve this controversy.Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted for studies. We extracted the relevant data and evaluated the study quality by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We pooled odds ratios (OR) for the same type of WMHs that were present in the relevant PSD period.Results: 15 studies (n = 4133 patients) met our inclusion criteria. In the acute phase, WMHs, DWMHs, severe WMHs, and severe DWMHs were not significant risk factors for incident depression, but PVWMHs (pooled OR, 1.21; 95 % CI, 1.01-1.44) and severe PVWMHs (pooled OR, 1.72; 95 % CI, 1.12-2.65) had a significant asso-ciation with PSD. In the subacute phase, DWMHs, DWMHs, and severe WMHs were not significantly associated with PSD, but PVWMHs (pooled OR, 2.44; 95 % CI, 1.25-4.76) showed a significant association with PSD. In the chronic phase, severe PVWMHs had no significant association with PSD, while WMHs (pooled OR, 1.063; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.09), DWMHs (pooled OR, 1.40; 95 % CI, 1.11-1.76), PVWMHs (pooled OR, 1.28; 95 % CI, 1.11-1.48), and severe DWMHs (pooled OR, 1.52; 95 % CI, 1.12-2.05) showed a significant association with PSD.Conclusion: We found a significant association between WMHs/DWMHs/PVWMHs and PSD in the chronic post -stroke phase. PVWMHs had a stronger correlation with PSD in each period after stroke than WMHs and DWMHs. High-quality prospective studies are still needed to fully resolve this relationship.