Emotional incontinence in Chinese stroke patients: Diagnosis, frequency, and clinical and radiological correlates

Of the few studies published on poststroke emotional incontinence (PSEI), none has investigated a consecutive stroke cohort in a Chinese patient population. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency and the clinical and radiological correlates of PSEI in Chinese stroke patients in Hong Kong. Three months after their admission, a psychiatrist interviewed 127 stroke patients who were consecutively admitted to the medical wards of a university-affiliated regional hospital. The presence of PSEI was defined according to both Kim's and House's criteria. The frequency of PSEI was 17.9% according to Kim's criteria and 6.3% according to House's criteria. The kappa between the two sets of criteria was 0.34. Univariate analysis found that PSEI was associated with a younger age, previous history of depression, a higher National Institute of Health Stroke Scale total score and cortical infarcts. Multivariate logistic regression suggested that past history of depression and cortical infarcts were independent predictors for PSEI. In conclusion, PSEI is relatively common among Chinese stroke survivors. A previous history of depression or cortical lesions were independent predictors for PSEI. There is a need for a revision of the diagnostic criteria for PSEI.