EEG alpha band characteristics in patients with a depressive episode within recurrent and bipolar depression

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The search for biological markers of differential diagnosis of recurrent and bipolar depression is one of the main tasks in modern psychiatry. To solve this problem, one of the promising tools is electroencephalography.
 OBJECTIVE: To identify differences in the digital parameters of the a-rhythm of the electroencephalogram in patients with a depressive episode within the framework of recurrent and bipolar depression.
 METHOD: Two groups of patients (women) were identified: with recurrent depressive disorder, the current episode of mild/moderate severity (47 patients) and with bipolar affective disorder, the current episode of mild or moderate depression (30 patients). The groups of patients did not receive pharmacotherapy and did not differ in socio-demographic indicators and the Hamilton depression scale. A background electroencephalogram was recorded and the quantitative characteristics of the -rhythm were analyzed: absolute spectral power, microstructure of the -spindle, activation reaction.
 RESULTS: In patients with bipolar affective disorder, compared with patients with recurrent depression, statistically significantly higher indicators of the absolute spectral power of the -rhythm were found in the parietal-occipital and posterior temporal leads (p 0.05), accelerated type of -rhythm was more often detected (20% vs. 2.1%; p = 0.024), the degree of depression of the -rhythm when opening the eyes in the parietal and posterior temporal leads (p 0.05).
 CONCLUSION: The presented quantitative characteristics of -activity confirm that patients with affective disorders of various genesis have their own distinctive electrophysiological features that can become promising biomarkers for distinguishing bipolar and recurrent depression.