Using the quantitative EEG method in predicting the response to treatment of affective disorders

Abstract

The aim is to study the features of brain activity in patients with affective disorders, depending on the response to therapy. Material and methods. The study included 84 patients with affective disorder. All patients received syndrome-induced psychopharmacotherapy, which included antidepressants and normotimic drugs. The severity of affective disorder was assessed using the Hamilton depression scale. The criterion for the effectiveness of therapy (sensitivity) was an improvement in clinical symptoms by 50% or more, estimated using the Hamilton scale. The study was performed in two stages (points): at the first point, patients were examined upon admission to the Department before taking medications (electroencephalogram recording and filling in the Hamilton scale were performed), the second point was performed after a 4-week course of treatment of patients in the hospital (filling in the Hamilton scale). Registration and analysis of bioelectric activity of the brain was carried out using a 16-channel encephalograph. The signals were processed using fastFourier transform, and the values of absolute spectral power (mV2) for θ — (4 — 7 Hz), α — (8 — 13 Hz) and β — (14 — 30 Hz) rhythms were analyzed.Results. Analysis of the spectral power of electroencephalographic rhythms at rest with closed eyes showed statistically significantly higher values of alpha-rhythm in the frontal(p=0.044) and parietal (0.049) cortex, beta-rhythm in the frontal cortex (p=0.048) and theta-rhythm in the frontal (p=0.0004), Central (p=0.009), parietal (p=0.003) and occipital (p=0.001) cortex in patients who were not sensitive to therapy for compared to respondents.Conclusion. Our study revealed significant differences in quantitative electroencephalogram parameters between patients with affective disorders, depending on the sensitivity to the therapy. The results show that there are aspects of quantitative electroencephalogram thatare related to the response to pharmacological treatment of affective disorders.

EEG alpha band characteristics in patients with a depressive episode within recurrent and bipolar depression

“…Consequently, EEG parameters can be useful as biological markers of a mental illness that trace back to specific pathophysiological mechanisms. Data accumulated to date from high-caliber studies [10-12] , including the results of our own studies [13,14] , suggest various EEG markers that can be used to differentiate between unipolar and bipolar depression. However, the question of how well they hold up to scrutiny remains open.…”