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Treatment of cognitive impairment after poststroke depression : a double-blind treatment trial
Kimura M, Robinson RG, Kosier JT.. Stroke, 2000-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background and purpose Patients with poststroke major depression have a greater severity of cognitive impairment than nondepressed patients even when matched for size and location of stroke lesion. Prior treatment studies have consistently failed to show an improvement in cognitive function even when poststroke mood disorders responded to antidepressant therapy. We examined the response of cognitive function to treatment with nortriptyline or placebo in a double-blind trial.
Key findings
- Prior treatment studies have consistently failed to show an improvement in cognitive function even when poststroke mood disorders responded to antidepressant therapy.
- We examined the response of cognitive function to treatment with nortriptyline or placebo in a double-blind trial.
- Methods Patients with major (n=33) or minor (n=14) depression participated in a double-blind treatment study with nortriptyline or placebo.
- They were examined for change in depressive mood, measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and change in cognitive impairment, assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), after treatment with nortriptyline or placebo.
Why it matters
This double-blind trial compared nortriptyline with placebo in patients with poststroke depression to see whether cognitive function improved. It examined a treatment for mood and cognition after stroke, not a treatment, cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants33
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Stroke) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Stroke: journal h-index 455 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2000 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 33 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 197 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.0 citations a year over 28 year(s) since 2000 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author James T. Kosier: h-index 12 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Iowa: institution h-index 1,080 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10884441) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kimura, M., Robinson, R. G., & Kosier, J. T. (2000). Treatment of cognitive impairment after poststroke depression : a double-blind treatment trial. Stroke. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.31.7.1482
Vancouver
Kimura M, Robinson RG, Kosier JT. Treatment of cognitive impairment after poststroke depression : a double-blind treatment trial. Stroke. 2000. doi:10.1161/01.str.31.7.1482. PMID: 10884441.
BibTeX
@article{kimura2000-10884441,
author = {Kimura, M. and Robinson, R. G. and Kosier, J. T.},
title = {{Treatment of cognitive impairment after poststroke depression : a double-blind treatment trial}},
journal = {Stroke},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1161/01.str.31.7.1482},
pmid = {10884441},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.31.7.1482}
}
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