71
Any patient with a pacemaker was excluded. All
subjects were questioned about hearing and visual defects.
All medications taken by the subjects on the day of the
psychophysiological measurements were recorded and a list of
these medications is provided in Table B-l, B-2, B-3, and B-
4 of Appendix B.
All subjects were administered the Zung Depression
Rating Scale. No group differences were found in their self
report of depression on the Zung [F(3,41) = 2.134, P =
.1107]. The mean scores and standard deviations on the Zung
are as follows: LHD (mean=38.636, sd=5.29); LH NCS
(mean=36.091, sd=5.28); RHD (mean=40.167, sd=7.814); RH NCS
(mean=34.091, sd=5.991).
The RHD and LHD subjects all had a CT or MRI performed
for clinical purposes. To be included, patients had a
discrete abnormal area compatible with cerebral infarction
on the head scan. Patients with tumors, hemorrhages,
trauma, or bilateral cerebral infarcts were excluded. All
subjects were tested at least 5 months post stroke in order
to control for possible changes in autonomic responsivity
over time. A t-test was conducted to examine group
differences in the amount of time since the last cortical
stroke. No differences were found between the groups
[T(l,22) = .588, P = .5626] The average time in months for
the LHD group was 78, sd=72.72 and the average time in
months for the RHD group was 60.92, sd=69.59.