title: [Value of quantitative electroencephalography in psychiatry].
abstract: Computerized quantitative EEG processes the signal in four sequential steps: 1) EEG sampling with rejection of artefacts; 2) Fourier analysis (power spectrum according to frequency); 3) data reduction with computation of spectral parameters in five-minute recordings on at least four EEG channels (mean frequencies, mean amplitudes in microvolts and %, with standard deviations for delta, theta, alpha and beta frequency bands); 4) data base and multivariate statistical analyses. Five main results are obtained by computerized quantitative EEG analysis in psychiatry and clinical pharmacology: 1) longitudinal studies of patients before and after treatment; 2) transversal studies of homogeneous EEG groups (discrimination between tracings of residual-type or paranoid-type schizophrenic patients) comparatively with control groups (high and low alpha subjects); 3) study of psychotropic drugs: profiles, prediction of action, dose-effect curves, pharmacokinetic studies, biodisponibility, correlations with plasmatic levels and behavioural or clinical psychiatric rating scales; 4) typologic classification and discrimination by multivariate analysis, studies of functional activities: functional interhemispheric lateralisation of amplitudes and its variations during the course of psychotic processes; 5) new techniques: computerized topo-electroencephalography (CT-EEG, BEAM technique) based on 16 EEG recordings, comparison with other imaging techniques.
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers; D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
vernacular_title: Intérêt de l'électroencéphalographie quantitative en psychiatrie.