title: In patients suffering from major depressive disorders, quantitative EEG showed favorable changes in left and right prefrontal cortex.
abstract: Patients suffering from major depressive disorders (MDD) report anhedonia, low concentration and lack of goal-oriented behavior. Data from imaging and quantitative EEG (QEEG) studies show an asymmetry in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with lower left as compared to right PFC-activity, associated with specific depression-related behavior. Cordance is a QEEG measurement, which combines absolute and relative power of EEG-spectra with strong correlations with regional perfusion. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent a four weeks lasting treatment with a standard SSRI had an influence on neuronal activation and MDD-related symptoms.
  
  
  
  Twenty patients suffering from severe MDD were treated with citalopram (40mg) for four consecutive weeks. At baseline and at the end of the treatment, patients underwent QEEG. Experts rated the degree of depression with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).
  
  
  
  Over time, theta cordance increased over right ventromedial and left dorsolateral PFC, whereas alpha cordance decreased over dorsolateral PFC. Improvement in MDD-related symptoms was higher in patients showing decreased EEG theta cordance over right dorsal PFC and increased EEG alpha cordance over left dorsolateral PFC.
  
  
  
  In patients suffering from MDD, treatment response was associated with favorable changes in neuronal activity.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medial Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haghighi
authors.affiliation: University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ludyga
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medial Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Boshra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medial Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jahangard
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medial Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmadpanah
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadam, Iran.
authors.forename: Saadat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torabian
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadam, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esnaashari
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medial Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazaribadie
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hafez
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bajoghli
authors.affiliation: University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadeghi Bahmani
authors.affiliation: University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
authors.affiliation: University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: serge.brand@upkbs.ch.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram
keywords: Cordance; Major depressive disorders; Neuronal activity; Prefrontal cortex