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Updated: Sep 20, 2025

Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment
Published on: July 7, 2023
Multiband EEG signatures decoded using machine learning for predicting rTMS treatment response in MDD
Alexander Arteaga1, Xiaoyu Tong1, Kanhao Zhao1
1Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
Background:
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising treatment for major depression disorder (MDD), particularly for treatment-resistant cases. However, identifying translatable biomarkers predictive of treatment outcomes remains underexplored.
Methods:
Participants with treatment resistant depression from the TDBRAIN dataset underwent either high frequency rTMS (10 Hz) at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (Protocol 1, n = 44) or low frequency rTMS (1 Hz) at the right DLPFC (Protocol 2, n = 73). Pre-treatment electroencephalograms (EEG) was collected, and changes in Beck Depression Inventory were measured post-treatment. EEG oscillations were decomposed into multiband intrinsic mode functions (IMF) and integrated under a latent space predictive modeling framework to identify signatures for predicting treatment outcomes.
Results:
Multiband signatures significantly predicted rTMS outcomes (Protocol 1: r = 0.40, p < 0.01; Protocol 2: r = 0.26, p < 0.05). Key spatial patterns linked to treatment outcomes were identified, revealing three main oscillations: IMF-Alpha, IMF-Beta, and the residual signal. In Protocol 1, critical regions included the left frontal and parietal regions for IMF-Alpha, left frontal-central and right parietal regions for IMF-Beta, and bi-hemispheric central and left parietal-occipital regions for residual signals. In Protocol 2, critical regions involved the left frontal and parietal regions for IMF-Alpha, left frontal-central region IMF-Beta, and right frontal, left frontal-central, midline central, and left parietal-occipital regions for residual signals. These oscillatory features also showed correlations with specific personality measures, suggesting their potential clinical relevance.
Conclusion:
Our findings demonstrate the promise of machine learning-driven multiband EEG signatures for personalized MDD treatment prediction, offering a translatable pathway for improved patient outcomes.

