Placebo to antidepressant effects ratio by electroencephalographic data

• Published in: Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova Vol. 104; no. 11; p. 42
• Main Authors: Bochkarev, V K, Avedisova, A S, Liupaeva, N V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 2004
• Subjects: Adult; Alpha Rhythm; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - therapeutic use; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - drug therapy; Electroencephalography; Female; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Functional Laterality - physiology; Humans; Male; Maprotiline - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Placebo Effect; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 1997-7298

An analysis of EEG spectral characteristics of placebo effect and antidepressant (fluoxetine, maprotiline) monotherapy in patients with mild or moderate depressive episodes (ICD-10) has been conducted. Depending on clinical effects of placebo and antidepressants, the groups of placebo- and medication-responders/non-responders were compared. Placebo caused both particular and similar with the action of a single antidepressant dose changes in spectral power of EEG bands, which reduced during the pharmacotherapy course. The EEG changes achieved a significant level mostly in placebo-responders. Differences in EEG reactions between medication responders and non-responders were rare and emerged at the stage of the placebo therapy and single antidepressant dose intake. The change of between-hemisphere asymmetry of alpha-rhythm low band power in the frontal brain regions corresponding to the increase of activation of these regions in the left hemisphere, was found to be characteristic of thymoleptic effect of pharmacotherapy.