Prospective Study of Major Depressive Disorder With White Matter Hyperintensity: Comparison of Patients With and Without Lacunar Infarction

Clinical characteristics, outcome, & risk factors for cerebrovascular disease were studied in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder & white matter hyperintensity. 123 patients were placed into 1 of 3 groups after undergoing magnetic resonance imaging: patients with no abnormal findings; patients with white matter hyperintensity & no lacunar infarction; & patients with lacunar infarction. Survival analysis regarding the clinical outcome of remission was conducted but no significant differences were discovered among the 3 groups. However, the suicide rate was significantly higher in the patients with lacunar infarction than in the other two groups. (21 refs.) JA