AHA/ASA past president, Ralph L. Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA offers perspective (via Skype) on ISC 20 presentation WP466. He is Chairman, Department of Neurology; Olemberg Family Chair in Neurological Disorders; Miller Professor of Neurology, Public Health Sciences, Human Genetics and Neurosurgery University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine; Executive Director, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute; Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Science; Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute; Chief of Neurology Service, Jackson Memorial Hospital; President, American Academy of Neurology 2017-19.
copyright American Heart Association 

"Well like all small studies, it's hard to make causal, relationships, and there may be many other factors that are at play. For example, those that are more optimistic may have less depression, and maybe it's the depression that is actually causing the affect here. But regardless whether it's optimism, whether it's depression, whether it's reducing inflammation, it's an important aspect of how we can try to encourage better recovery among our stroke survivors."