title: Early reduction in prefrontal theta QEEG cordance value predicts response to venlafaxine treatment in patients with resistant depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies of patients with unipolar depression have shown that early decrease of prefrontal EEG cordance in theta band can predict clinical response to various antidepressants. We have now examined whether decrease of prefrontal quantitative EEG (QEEG) cordance value after 1 week of venlafaxine treatment predicts clinical response to venlafaxine in resistant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 25 inpatients who finished 4-week venlafaxine treatment. EEG data were monitored at baseline and after 1 week of treatment. QEEG cordance was computed at three frontal electrodes in theta frequency band. Depressive symptoms and clinical status were assessed using Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-S) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven of 12 responders (reduction of MADRS >or=50%) and only 5 of 13 non-responders had decreased prefrontal QEEG cordance value after the first week of treatment (p=0.01). The decrease of prefrontal cordance after week 1 in responders was significant (p=0.03) and there was no significant change in non-responders. Positive and negative predictive values of cordance reduction for response were 0.7 and 0.9, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction of prefrontal theta QEEG cordance value after first week of treatment might be helpful in the prediction of response to venlafaxine.
authors.affiliation: Prague Psychiatric Centre, Ustavni 91, 181 03 Prague 8, Bohnice, Czech Republic. bares@pcp.lf3.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bares
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunovsky
authors.forename: Miloslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopecek
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stopkova
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kozeny
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sos
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krajca
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Höschl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013826:Theta Rhythm; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D003511:Cyclohexanols; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride