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The following is a summary of “Electroencephalographic markers in Major Depressive Disorder: insights from absolute, relative power, and asymmetry analyses,” published in the January 2025 issue of Psychiatry by Özçoban and Tan.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) disrupts neurological structures and cognitive functions, yet its brain mechanisms remain unclear.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of MDD on brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) power spectral analysis and asymmetry metrics.
They obtained EEG recordings from 48 patients with MDD and 78 healthy controls. The data were segmented into 2-second windows (1,024 data points) and analyzed using the Welch method with a Hanning time window and 50% overlap. They calculated absolute and relative power, along with asymmetry values, in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands.
The results showed significantly higher absolute and relative power in the theta and beta bands and decreased power in the alpha band in patients with MDD compared to healthy controls. Asymmetry analysis revealed significant differences in the theta band (F7-F8, C3-C4, T3-T4, T5-T6), alpha band (F7-F8, C3-C4, T3-T4, T5-T6, O1-O2), and beta band (C3-C4, T3-T4, T5-T6, P3-P4).
Investigators concluded that MDD alters brain mechanisms and cognitive functions, with theta and beta asymmetry serving as potential biomarkers. The findings supported previous research linking MDD to impairments in memory, attention, and neuroanatomical connectivity.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1480228/full
