Cognition and Quantitative Electroencephalogram (QEEG) Relations in Unipolar Depression: A Comprehensive Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of unipolar depression (UD).
• Objective biomarkers are needed for assessing cognitive impairment in UD.
• Quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) offers a potential method for such assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify frontal QEEG biomarkers associated with cognitive dysfunction in UD.
• To compare cognitive performance and QEEG measures between UD patients and healthy controls.
• To explore age and sex effects on cognition and the relationship between QEEG and cognitive domains in UD.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-one UD patients and 29 healthy controls underwent neuropsychological assessments (NPA) and frontal QEEG.
• Participants were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5.
• Analyses included comparisons between groups, correlation analyses for age/sex effects, and examination of QEEG-cognition relationships.

Main Results:

• UD patients exhibited significant deficits across most NPA domains compared to controls.
• Working memory impairment was central, linked to deficits in verbal fluency and long-term memory.
• Frontal QEEG power bands (delta, theta, beta) served as significant biomarkers for cognitive deficits in UD.

Conclusions:

• Frontal QEEG measures are promising objective biomarkers for cognitive impairment in unipolar depression.
• QEEG can aid in the objective assessment of cognitive dysfunction in UD.
• These findings support the potential for personalized interventions based on QEEG biomarkers in UD.