Journal of military pharmaco-medicine no5-2018 
 193 
THE STUDY ON CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND 
CRANIAL MRI IN PATIENTS WITH LACUNAR INFARCTS 
IN SUPRATENTORIAL REGION 
 Dang Viet Hung*; Nguyen Minh Hien**; Nguyen Tram Anh*** 
SUMMARY 
Objectives: To study clinical characteristics, and relationship between levels of depression 
and cranial MRI of patients with lacunar infarction. Subjects and methods: Cross-sectional study 
and self-design research questionnaire. A total of 90 patients with lacunar infarcts and signs of 
depression collected from Department of Neurology of Viet - Czech Friendship Hospital between 
March 2013 and May 2015. Results: The time of onset of lacunar infarction from 6 to 12 am 
accounted for 53.33%. Among onset symptoms in the majority of patients, hemiplegia accounted 
for 85.56%, and language disorders accounted for 55.56%, motor dysfunction accounted for 60%. 
Mild depression, moderate depression, severe depression accounted for 43.33%, 35.56%, and 
21.11%, respectively. Locations of lacuna in internal capsule, gray matter, and temporal lobe have 
not been found to affect levels of depression in cerebral infarction. Frontal lobe damage increased 
the risk of severe depression by 7.31 times than that of mild depression and 5.81 times than that 
of moderate depression. Left cerebral hemisphere damage increased the risk of severe depression 
4.88 times more than mild depression. Conclusion: There is no clear relationship between levels 
of depression and cranial MRI in patients with lacunar infarction. 
* Keywords: Lacunar infarction; Clinical characters; Level of depression; Cranial MRI. 
INTRODUCTION 
Stroke has become an increasingly 
important medical problem due to the 
average life increasing more and more, 
the stroke rates have increased according 
to the age. It is predicted that if there were 
12.8% of Americans > 65 years had stroke 
in 1995, there would be 18.7% in 2025. 
Lacunar infarction, which accounts for 20 
to 26% of total cerebral infarction cases, 
results from occlusion of penetrating 
branches that cause small lacuna; necrotic 
brain tissues forms a small sinus. The question 
is that whether there is a relationship 
between the dominant brain hemisphere 
damage and depression after a stroke. 
Previous studies have shown that patients 
with left hemisphere infarction, especially 
those with frontal lobe damage, are more 
likely to suffer from depression. Today, 
thanks to diagnostic imaging devices, 
medical images become more sensitive 
and specific. In the world, there are many 
studies on the relationship between 
depression after stroke and locations of 
brain damage. At present, there are not 
many studies on this issue in Vietnam, 
so the relationship between depression 
levels and cranial imaging in patients with 
lacunar infarction in supratentorial region. 
* 
** 
*** 
Corresponding author: Dang Viet Hung (
[email protected]) 
 Date received: 26/02/2018 
 Date accepted: 30/05/2018 
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 194
SUBJECTS AND METHODS 
1. Subjects. 
90 patients diagnosed with lacunar 
infarction were treated at Department of 
Neurology of Vietnam - Czech Friendship 
Hospital from March 2013 to November 
2015. 
- The subjects fully met the criteria for 
diagnosis of lacunar infarcts, on CT-scans 
or MRI. 
- All patients were diagnosed with 
depression according to ICD 10 (1992). 
- Patients were conscious and cooperated 
in the process of medical examination, 
consultation and research. 
- Patients gave consent to research. 
* Exclusion criteria: 
- Patients with other severe diseases. 
- Patients with a history of depressive 
symptoms prior to admission. 
- Patients do not cooperate in the medical 
examination and inquiry. 
- Patients with clinical symptoms, but 
without infarction on MRI. 
- Patients with cerebral infarction caused 
by brain tumors, injury, infection, cerebral 
hemorrhage, and so on. 
2. Methodology. 
- Cross-sectional description 
- The patients in the study group were 
monitored from hospital arrival to discharge. 
- Self-designed research questionnaire. 
- Use of the Beck Depression Inventory 
(BDI) to assess the severity of the patients’ 
depression. 
- Use of SPSS 16.0 software and Excel 
software to process data. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
* The time of onset of lacunar infarction: 
The most common time of infarction to 
occur was from 6 am to 12 pm, accounting 
for 53.33% (48 patients). The second 
most common time was 12 pm - < 6 pm, 
accounting for 26.67% (24 patients). 
12 am - < 6 am accounted for 12.22% 
(11 patients). 6 pm - < 12 am occupied 
the least percentage (7 patients = 7.78%). 
According to Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen and 
Nguyen Van Chuong, stroke onset time in 
was generally from 6 to 12 hours, followed 
by 12 - 18 hours (during work hours). 
* Onset symptoms: 
Cognitive decline: 16 patients (17.78%); 
hemiplegia: 77 patients (85.56%); sensory 
disorder: 19 patients (21.11%); language 
disorder: 50 patients (55.56%); swallowing 
disorders: 8 patients (8.89%); epilepsy: 
1 patient (1.11%); hemianopia: 0; 
coordination disorder: 3 patients (3.3%). 
According to Nguyen Van Oanh, the most 
common onset symptoms were motor 
hemiplegia in 92.2%, language disorders 
in 44%, and cognitive disorders in 16%. 
According to Phuong Viet Trung, the 
proportion of hemiplegia in patients with 
lacunar infarcts accounted for 98.1%. 
Duong Tuan Bao showed that the rate 
of 93.7%. 
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Table 1: Clinical symptoms of lacunar infarction. 
Symptoms n = 90 Rate % 
Pure motor hemiplegia 
Face - Hand - Foot 33 61.11 60.0 
Dominant hand paralysis 14 25.93 
Dominant foot paralysis 7 12.96 
Communication disorder and hand clumsiness 2 2.22 
Sensory and motor disorder 12 13.33 
Hemiparesis and ataxia 11 12.22 
Pure sensory disorder 11 12.22 
Pure motor hemiplegia accounted for the highest rate at 60%. Some studies in Vietnam 
showed the similar rate, ranging from 51% to 53%. Study of Gan. R showed the rate of 
45% and that of Landi. G was 70%. There was a low percentage of language disorder and 
hand clumsiness at 2.22%. The study results matched those of Le Van Thu and Nguyen 
Van Oanh. 
* Results from the shortened Beck Depression Inventory: 
In our 90 patients, the prevalence of mild depression was 43.33% (39 patients), 
moderate depression accounted for 35.56% (32 patients), and severe depression accounted 
for 21.11% (19 patients). 
According to Dang Hoang Anh, when studying the clinical characteristics of mental 
disorders in stroke patients with hypertension, the findings showed that mild depression 
accounted for 23%, moderate depression accounted for 10%, and severe depression 
was 2%. The rates of depression in our study were higher compared to Dang Hoang 
Anh's, because patients with depression had been screened for inclusion in the study. 
Table 2: Relationship between levels of depression and locations of lacuna in 
internal capsule. 
Levels of 
depression 
Locations of lacuna 
p 
OR 
(95%CI) 
Internal capsule 
(n = 51) 
Other 
(n = 39) Total 
(n = 90) 
n % n % 
Mild (1) 22 56.41 17 43.59 39 p3.1: 0.914 1,07 (0.31 - 3.78) 
Moderate (2) 18 56.25 14 43.75 32 p2.1: 0.989 0.99 (0.35 - 2.84) 
Severe (3) 11 57.89 8 42.11 19 p3.2: 0.909 1.07 (0.29 - 3.97) 
The prevalence of depression was similar in patients with internal capsule damage. 
The difference is not statistically significant. 
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Table 3: Relationship between levels of depression and locations of lacuna in thalamus. 
Levels of 
depression 
Locations of lacuna 
p 
OR 
(95%CI) 
Thalamus 
(n = 19) 
Other 
(n = 71) Total 
(n = 90) 
n % n % 
Mild (1) 7 17.95 32 82.05 39 p3.1: 0.460 1.63 
(0.34 - 7.19) Moderate (2) 7 21.88 25 78.12 32 p2.1: 0.679 1.28 
(0.33 - 4.89) 
Severe (3) 5 26.32 14 73.68 19 p3.2: 0.718 1.28 
(0.26 - 5.72) 
Patients with thalamus lesions had a 1.63-times greater risk of major depression than 
mild depression. However, this difference was not statistically significant with p > 0.05. 
Table 4: Relationship between levels of depression and locations of lacuna in 
frontal lobe. 
Levels of 
depression 
Locations of lacuna 
p 
OR 
(95%CI) 
Frontal lobe 
(n = 5) 
Other 
(n = 85) Total 
(n = 90) 
n % n % 
Mild (1) 1 2.56 38 97.44 39 p3.1: 0.062 7.13 (0.51 - 383.55) 
Moderate (2) 1 3.13 31 96.87 32 p2.1: 0.887 1.23 (0.02 - 98.72) 
Severe (3) 3 15.79 16 84.21 19 p3.2: 0.104 5.81 (0.41 - 314.69) 
Patients with frontal lobe lesion were more likely to get severe depression 7.14 times 
than mild depression and 5.81 times than moderate depression. However, the difference 
was not statistically significant with p > 0.05. 
Table 5: Relationship between levels of depression and locations of lacuna in left 
hemisphere. 
Levels of 
depression 
Locations of lacuna 
p 
OR 
(95%CI) 
Left hemisphere 
(n = 40) 
Other 
(n = 50) Total 
(n = 90) 
n % n % 
Mild (1) 12 30.77 27 69.23 39 p3.1: 0.007 4.88 (1.3 - 19.16) 
Moderate (2) 15 46.88 17 53.12 32 p2,1: 0.164 1.99 (0.67 - 5.88) 
Severe (3) 13 68.42 6 31.58 19 p3.2: 0.135 2,46 (0.65 - 9.83) 
Patients with left hemisphere lesions had a 4.88-times greater risk of major 
depression than mild depression (95%CI: 1.30 - 19.16). The difference is statistically 
significant with p < 0.05. 
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Table 6: Relationship between levels of depression and locations of lacuna in right 
hemisphere. 
Levels of 
depression 
Locations of lacuna 
p 
OR 
(95%CI) 
Right hemisphere 
(n = 36) 
Other 
(n = 54) Total 
(n = 90) 
n % n % 
Mild (1) 16 41.03 23 58.97 39 p3.1: 0.487 0.66 (0.17 - 2.39) 
Moderate (2) 14 43.75 18 56.25 32 p2.1: 0.817 1.12 (0.39 - 3.19) 
Severe (3) 6 31.58 13 68.42 19 p3.2: 0.389 0.59 (0.15 - 2.24) 
The prevalence of depression was similar in patients with right hemisphere lesions. 
The difference is not statistically significant with p > 0.05. 
According to Duong Minh Tam, patients 
have infarction in various locations. Temporal 
lobe infarction is the most common, in 
which 13.6% of the left temporal lobe, 
20.2% of the right temporal lobe. Comparing 
depression rates between left hemisphere 
and left hemisphere, the authors found 
that depression caused by left hemisphere 
injury was 95%CI, but risk factors was not 
statistically significant with OR = 1.052 
(0.61-1.81). According to Vataja R et al, 
typical depression was not related to 
cerebral injury locations while atypical 
depression was. Bhogal et al argued that 
the location of post-stroke brain injury only 
played a role when depression occurred 
in the early stages of infarction. Clarke 
and colleagues found that the association 
between cerebral lesions and post-stroke 
depression, patients with left hemisphere 
injury had higher rates of depression than 
those with right hemisphere one. They also 
reviewed recent studies and found that in 
patients with stroke in the early stages 
after onset or during hospitalization, left 
hemisphere injury was related to depression 
after infarction. 
CONCLUSION 
According to the study on 90 patients 
diagnosed with lacunar infarcts suffering 
from depression, treated in the Department 
of Neurology of Viet - Czech Friendship 
Hospital from March 2013 to May 2015, 
the following conclusions were drawn: 
- The most frequent onset time of 
lacunar infarction was from 6 am to 12 am, 
accounting for 53, 33%. 
- Onset symptoms of the majority of 
patients were hemiplegia accounting for 
85.56%, and language disorders accounting 
for 55.56%. 
- Regarding the symptoms of lacunar 
infarction, pure motor hemiplegia accounted 
for the highest rate of 60%. 
- Mild, moderate, and severe depression 
accounted for 43.33%, 35.56%, and 21.11%, 
respectively 
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- Locations of lacuna in internal capsule, 
gray matter, and temporal lobe did not affect 
the levels of depression in lacunar infarction. 
- Frontal lobe injury was more likely 
to cause severe depression 7.14 times 
than mild depression and 5.81 times than 
moderate depression. 
- Left hemisphere injury caused a 4.88-
times greater risk of major depression 
than that of mild depression. 
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