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Biological markers

State-Dependent qEEG Biomarkers in Depression Hold Promise for Monitoring Clinical Improvement

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study published in Clinical EEG and Neuroscience has made significant findings in the field of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Research conducted by Reyhan Ilhan and colleagues from the Kemal Arikan Psychiatry Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, revealed that quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) can be used to identify state-dependent biomarkers in MDD. The study analyzed resting-state qEEG recordings from 70 patients diagnosed with MDD and 98 healthy controls at three time points: baseline, early treatment, and late treatment. The results showed that responders to treatment exhibited longitudinal reductions in delta power and normalization towards healthy controls, whereas non-responders showed stable and elevated delta and alpha power.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study identified state-dependent electrophysiological normalization in MDD responders, suggesting that qEEG can be used to monitor clinical improvement in depression.
  • Responders showed longitudinal reductions in delta power and normalization towards healthy controls.
  • Non-responders exhibited stable and elevated delta and alpha power that persisted across sessions.
  • Decreased fronto-central delta and increased left fronto-central gamma power were associated with improvement in depression and anxiety.
  • The study highlights the utility of qEEG state-markers in monitoring clinical improvement in depression.

Statistics:

  • 70 patients diagnosed with MDD were included in the study.
  • 98 healthy controls (HCs) were used as a comparison group.
  • qEEG recordings were obtained at three time points: baseline (T0), early treatment (T1), and late treatment (T2).
  • Responders showed reductions in delta power by 50% at T2.
  • Non-responders exhibited stable and elevated delta and alpha power across all sessions.

Sources:

  • Ilhan, R., et al. "State-Dependent qEEG Biomarkers in Depression." Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, vol. 2025, no. 15500594251384430, 2025.
  • Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA. (www.sagepub.com; eeg.sagepub.com)
  • Mental Health Weekly Digest. NewsRx LLC.

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