Abstract
The quantitative EEGs of drug-free depressed patients were analyzed and compared to age and sex-matched controls, using spectral analysis. In addition, QEEGs of depressed patients after clinical improvement resulting from 6 weeks of antidepressant treatment were also analyzed. The subjects were 20 patients suffering from major depression (DSM-III-R). Scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) of all patients showed a reduction of more than 50% at the end of the 6th week. The results show: (1) delta and theta bipolar absolute powers of the right hemisphere increased in drug-free depressed patients, compared to controls. (2) No changes in all bands of QEEG were found after clinical improvement resulting from 6 weeks of treatment. These results suggest that the right hemisphere plays an important role in major depression, and that a reduction in symptoms is not necessarily indicative of an improvement in underlying major depression.
Publication types
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Clinical Trial
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Comparative Study
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Randomized Controlled Trial
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Amitriptyline / adverse effects
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Amitriptyline / therapeutic use*
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Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / adverse effects
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Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / therapeutic use*
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / adverse effects
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / therapeutic use*
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Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
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Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology
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Depressive Disorder / drug therapy*
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Depressive Disorder / physiopathology
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Depressive Disorder / psychology
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Dominance, Cerebral / drug effects*
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Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Electroencephalography / drug effects*
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Female
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Fluoxetine / adverse effects
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Fluoxetine / therapeutic use
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Fourier Analysis
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Humans
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted*
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
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Fluoxetine
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Amitriptyline