Cerebrovascular disease basis of depression: post-stroke depression and vascular depression.

The close association between cerebrovascular disease and depression has been known for more than a century, yet much of the progress in understanding the cerebrovascular basis of depression in late life has been spurred by development of two concepts: 'post-stroke depression' and 'vascular depression'. The purpose of this review is to examine the epidemiology, diagnostic features, course, pathophysiology and prognosis of post-stroke depression and vascular depression, to highlight their common features, and to contrast the distinct aspects of these two subtypes of geriatric depression.