Frontal alpha EEG asymmetry before and after behavioral activation treatment for depression

Abstract

Background Mid-frontal and mid-lateral (F3/F4 and F7/F8) EEG asymmetry has been associated with motivation and affect. We examined alpha EEG asymmetry in depressed and healthy participants before and after Behavioral Activation treatment for depression; examined the association between alpha EEG asymmetry and motivational systems and affect; and evaluated the utility of alpha EEG asymmetry in predicting remission. Methods Depressed (n = 37) and healthy participants (n = 35) were assessed before and after treatment using a clinical interview, a task to measure baseline EEG, and questionnaires of behavioral activation and inhibition, avoidance, and affect. Results Alpha EEG asymmetry was significantly higher in depressed than healthy participants at pre-treatment, positively correlated with negative affect and behavioral inhibition, and inversely correlated with lower behavioral activation sensitivity. Conclusions Heightened alpha EEG asymmetry in depressed participants was significantly associated with increased behavioral inhibition and negative emotion and was independent of clinical remission.

Review on EEG and ERP predictive biomarkers for major depressive disorder

“…In contrast, EEG activation of the right-side frontal cortex was related to withdrawal of related emotions and the pathophysiology of depression [44]. In a recent study, alpha EEG asymmetry was found to be significantly higher in MDD patients compared to healthy controls [46]. A number of studies reported a decrease in the right frontal area relative to the left side [47][48][49][50].…”

Frontal alpha asymmetry as a pathway to behavioural withdrawal in depression: Research findings and issues

“…In their review of the role of frontal EEG asymmetry, Coan and Allen [38] noted that, although there was some evidence that Ra>La cerebral activation was associated with depression and that stability of that asymmetry was demonstrated in clinically depressed patients over 16 weeks [50], prospective or intervention studies were required to conclusively estimate the strength of that relationship. One such recent intervention study was reported by Gollan et al [51] and described several important aspects of the association in question. First, Gollan et al [51] showed that the depressed participants in their study had significantly greater frontal asymmetry than healthy participants prior to the delivery of behavioural activation therapy to the former.…”

“…One such recent intervention study was reported by Gollan et al [51] and described several important aspects of the association in question. First, Gollan et al [51] showed that the depressed participants in their study had significantly greater frontal asymmetry than healthy participants prior to the delivery of behavioural activation therapy to the former. Second, there were significant correlations between frontal asymmetry and negative affect and behavioural inhibition measured via questionnaire.…”

“…In the words of Gollan et al [51],frontal EEG asymmetry may be "a stable, trait-like characteristic independent of depression status'' (p. 204) rather than an indicator of depression alone, a position confirmed by Debener et al [68]. Although not examined in any depth to date, a possible hypothesis arising from these comments is that frontal EEG asymmetry is similar to antibodies that are developed in response to a pathogen and which remain available during the future life of the individual regardless of whether they are exposed to the pathogen or not.…”

“…A number of EEG studies have provided evidence that depressed patients (both those with current and past depressive episodes) display a frontal asymmetry characterized by greater left than right frontal lobe alpha power (hypoactivation) [34,42,43,51,137] and some authors have further demonstrated that posterior alpha power in depression exhibits an asymmetry opposite to that of frontal alpha, indicative of greater right than left posterior alpha power in depression [43,88,103,138]. However, not all studies have demonstrated this pattern of anterior lobe asymmetry being the reciprocal of posterior asymmetry in depression [65,139,140].…”