EEG Functional Connectivity Associated With Antidepressant Response to Transcutaneous Electrical Cranial-Auricular...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent condition with variable treatment responses.
• Transcutaneous electrical cranial-auricular acupoint stimulation (TECAS) is an emerging neuromodulation therapy for MDD.
• Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying TECAS efficacy require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate electroencephalography (EEG)-based functional connectivity (FC) as a predictor of clinical response to TECAS in MDD patients.
• To explore how TECAS treatment alters brain functional connectivity.
• To identify potential biomarkers for personalized TECAS treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state EEG data were collected from 50 MDD patients before and after 8 weeks of TECAS, and from 37 healthy controls (HCs).
• Baseline FC was compared between MDD patients and HCs, and pre-to-posttreatment changes were analyzed.
• FC features were correlated with clinical symptom improvements, and differences between responders and nonresponders were assessed.

Main Results:

• TECAS treatment led to reduced frontoparietal θ-band connectivity in MDD patients.
• Pretreatment frontoparietal δ-band connectivity negatively correlated with reductions in depression and anxiety scores.
• MDD patients who responded to TECAS showed significantly higher pretreatment β-band FC compared to nonresponders.

Conclusions:

• TECAS effectively modulates frontoparietal θ connectivity in individuals with MDD.
• Pretreatment δ- and β-band FC patterns show association with therapeutic outcomes in TECAS treatment.
• These FC patterns may serve as predictive biomarkers for TECAS response, enabling personalized MDD treatment.