Right hemisphere abnormalities in major depression: quantitative electroencephalographic findings before and after treatment.
The quantitative EEGs of drug-free depressed patients were analyzed and compared to age and sex-matched controls, using spectral analysis. In addition, QEEGs of depressed patients after clinical improvement resulting from 6 weeks of antidepressant treatment were also analyzed. The subjects were 20 patients suffering from major depression (DSM-III-R). Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) of all patients showed a reduction of more than 50% at the end of the 6th week. The results show: (1) delta and theta bipolar absolute powers of the right hemisphere increased in drug-free depressed patients, compared to controls. (2) No changes in all bands of QEEG were found after clinical improvement resulting from 6 weeks of treatment. These results suggest that the right hemisphere plays an important role in major depression, and that a reduction in symptoms is not necessarily indicative of an improvement in underlying major depression.
Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, South Korea.
J S
JS
Kwon
T
T
Youn
H Y
HY
Jung
D000328:Adult; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D005473:Fluoxetine; D000639:Amitriptyline