EEG Signatures of Melancholia: An Update

Melancholia remains a severe and complex form of depression. One possible avenue to a better understanding of melancholia and potentially improved methods of treating it, is via examination of the profiles of brain electrical activity of patients suffering from melancholia. However, apart from work using fMRI, relatively little is known about the electrophysiological basis of melancholia despite the potential for this to inform targeted effective treatments such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. To better understand the state of research regarding EEG variables and melancholia, a systematic review was undertaken. Results indicated that there was a large degree of complexity in the association between melancholia and various EEG parameters, and that many specific aspects of brain electrical activity remain under-studied. Suggestions are made for future research.