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Directed Functional Connectivity Based on EEG During Emotional Music Perception for Major Depressive Disorder
Summary
Major depressive disorder (MDD) shows altered brain network communication during emotional music listening. Increased delta-band directed functional connectivity (DFC) in MDD patients may help identify the condition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to emotional processing deficits and brain network dysregulation.
- Previous electroencephalography (EEG) studies suggest altered functional connectivity in depression, but directional information flow remains unclear.
- Understanding brain network dynamics during emotional tasks is crucial for characterizing MDD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate emotion-evoked directed functional connectivity (DFC) during emotional music perception in individuals with MDD using EEG.
- To explore group differences in DFC patterns between MDD patients and healthy controls.
- To examine the relationship between DFC features, depressive symptom severity, and music liking.
Main Methods:
- EEG data collected from 18 MDD patients and 18 healthy controls listening to music of varying emotional valence (positive, neutral, negative).
- Frequency-specific DFC patterns estimated using the directed transfer function (DTF).
- Statistical analyses included generalized estimating equations, non-parametric permutation tests, and partial correlation analysis; a subject-level validation framework was used.
Main Results:
- Individuals with MDD exhibited significantly increased delta-band DFC strength across all emotional music conditions, with alterations in frontal, central, and parieto-occipital regions.
- Delta-band DFC features under positive music conditions were associated with depressive symptom severity and distinguished MDD patients from controls.
- Behavioral analysis showed negative correlations between music liking ratings and depressive symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- This study reveals task-evoked alterations in directional brain network organization during emotional music processing in MDD.
- EEG-based DFC analysis offers a valuable tool for system-level investigation of affective network dysfunctions in depression.
- Findings highlight the potential of DFC as a biomarker for MDD and its associated emotional processing impairments.
