The effectiveness of body psychotherapy on executive functions in patients with post-stroke depression

Introduction: Due to the high prevalence of depression after stroke, it is necessary to evaluate and compare appropriate rehabilitations to improve patients in this field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of body psychotherapy on improving executive functions in patients with post-stroke depression. Materials and Methods: This clinical study performed in Mehrana Nursing Home in Bojnourd city, Iran in 2019. Twenty women with poststroke depression were selected by purposeful sampling and were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n= 10) and control (n= 10). The intervention group participated in body psychotherapy sessions and the control group received routine treatment. Patients were assessed via demographic questionnaires, Beck Depression Inventory, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and computerized tests of executive performance measures including the Wisconsin Card Test, Tower of London, Corsi Blocks Task Test, and Wechsler Numerical Span Test. Data were analyzed by ttest and covariance analysis by SPSS software. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in the Tower of London test (P= 0.001), Corsi Blocks Task Test (P= 0.03), and Wechsler Numerical Span Test (P= 0.03) than the control group. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, body psychotherapy can help improve executive functions in people with poststroke depression.