Resting-state EEG activity in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IF 3.6 2区医学 Q2 NEUROIMAGING

Neuroimage-Clinical Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-04-26 DOI:10.1016/j.nicl.2026.103997

Henrik Heitmann , Jean-François Siani , Paul Theo Zebhauser , Peter Henningsen , Stefan Leucht , Josef Priller , Markus Ploner

{"title":"Resting-state EEG activity in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Henrik Heitmann , Jean-François Siani , Paul Theo Zebhauser , Peter Henningsen , Stefan Leucht , Josef Priller , Markus Ploner","doi":"10.1016/j.nicl.2026.103997","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Depression is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder affecting approximately 5% of the adult population worldwide. Despite its impact, the underlying pathophysiology remains insufficiently understood, and current treatments are only partially effective. Understanding electrophysiological correlates of depression offers promise for a better grasp of the underlying brain mechanisms and might even guide novel treatment approaches, including neuromodulation. EEG is particularly attractive for this purpose due to its wide availability, cost-effectiveness, and potential for direct neuromodulatory targeting.</div><div>We conducted a PROSPERO-registered systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to assess resting-state EEG activity in adult patients with depression, diagnosed according to DSM-IV/V or ICD-10/11. Included studies reported cross-sectional or correlational data on well-established quantitative EEG measures such as power, cordance, peak frequency, and alpha asymmetry. Semiquantitative analyses using modified albatross plots and <em>meta</em>-analyses were performed. Study quality was assessed with a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.</div><div>Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Semiquantitative findings showed a trend for increased low-frequency (delta and theta) and high-frequency (beta and gamma) power, as well as left frontal alpha asymmetry, in depressed patients compared to healthy controls. However, <em>meta</em>-analysis only confirmed a significant increase in beta power. Results regarding disease severity correlations and data on peak alpha frequency and cordance were insufficient for interpretation. Risk of bias across studies was high.</div><div>Our results support a potential role for increased beta oscillations in depression. These oscillations may reflect disrupted corticolimbic control and reward processing and partially overlap with mechanisms implicated in chronic pain and fatigue. Further investigation is warranted into their potential as a diagnostic tool or even a biomarker, as well as their potential use as a neuromodulatory treatment target.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54359,"journal":{"name":"Neuroimage-Clinical","volume":"50 ","pages":"Article 103997"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Neuroimage-Clinical","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158226000562","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/4/26 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROIMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Depression is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder affecting approximately 5% of the adult population worldwide. Despite its impact, the underlying pathophysiology remains insufficiently understood, and current treatments are only partially effective. Understanding electrophysiological correlates of depression offers promise for a better grasp of the underlying brain mechanisms and might even guide novel treatment approaches, including neuromodulation. EEG is particularly attractive for this purpose due to its wide availability, cost-effectiveness, and potential for direct neuromodulatory targeting.

We conducted a PROSPERO-registered systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to assess resting-state EEG activity in adult patients with depression, diagnosed according to DSM-IV/V or ICD-10/11. Included studies reported cross-sectional or correlational data on well-established quantitative EEG measures such as power, cordance, peak frequency, and alpha asymmetry. Semiquantitative analyses using modified albatross plots and meta-analyses were performed. Study quality was assessed with a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Fifty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Semiquantitative findings showed a trend for increased low-frequency (delta and theta) and high-frequency (beta and gamma) power, as well as left frontal alpha asymmetry, in depressed patients compared to healthy controls. However, meta-analysis only confirmed a significant increase in beta power. Results regarding disease severity correlations and data on peak alpha frequency and cordance were insufficient for interpretation. Risk of bias across studies was high.

Our results support a potential role for increased beta oscillations in depression. These oscillations may reflect disrupted corticolimbic control and reward processing and partially overlap with mechanisms implicated in chronic pain and fatigue. Further investigation is warranted into their potential as a diagnostic tool or even a biomarker, as well as their potential use as a neuromodulatory treatment target.

查看原文本刊更多论文

抑郁症静息状态脑电图活动：系统回顾和荟萃分析

抑郁症是一种非常普遍和致残的疾病，影响着全世界大约5%的成年人。尽管它的影响，潜在的病理生理仍然不充分了解，目前的治疗只是部分有效。了解抑郁症的电生理相关性为更好地掌握潜在的大脑机制提供了希望，甚至可能指导新的治疗方法，包括神经调节。由于其广泛的可用性、成本效益和直接神经调节靶向的潜力，EEG对这一目的特别有吸引力。我们根据PRISMA指南进行了一项普洛斯普洛斯注册的系统评价，以评估根据DSM-IV/V或ICD-10/11诊断的成年抑郁症患者的静息状态脑电图活动。纳入的研究报告了已建立的定量脑电图测量的横截面或相关数据，如功率、配合度、峰值频率和α不对称。采用改进信天翁图和元分析进行半定量分析。采用改良的纽卡斯尔-渥太华量表评估研究质量。52项研究符合纳入标准。半定量研究结果显示，与健康对照组相比，抑郁症患者的低频（δ和θ）和高频（β和γ）能量以及左额叶α不对称都有增加的趋势。然而，荟萃分析只证实了β能力的显著增加。关于疾病严重程度相关性的结果以及α峰频率和一致性的数据不足以解释。研究的偏倚风险很高。我们的研究结果支持抑郁症中β振荡增加的潜在作用。这些振荡可能反映了皮质边缘控制和奖励处理的中断，部分与慢性疼痛和疲劳相关的机制重叠。进一步研究它们作为诊断工具甚至生物标志物的潜力，以及它们作为神经调节治疗靶点的潜在用途是有必要的。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Neuroimage-Clinical NEUROIMAGING-

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

4.80%

发文量

368

审稿时长

52 days

期刊介绍： NeuroImage: Clinical, a journal of diseases, disorders and syndromes involving the Nervous System, provides a vehicle for communicating important advances in the study of abnormal structure-function relationships of the human nervous system based on imaging. The focus of NeuroImage: Clinical is on defining changes to the brain associated with primary neurologic and psychiatric diseases and disorders of the nervous system as well as behavioral syndromes and developmental conditions. The main criterion for judging papers is the extent of scientific advancement in the understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of diseases and disorders, in identification of functional models that link clinical signs and symptoms with brain function and in the creation of image based tools applicable to a broad range of clinical needs including diagnosis, monitoring and tracking of illness, predicting therapeutic response and development of new treatments. Papers dealing with structure and function in animal models will also be considered if they reveal mechanisms that can be readily translated to human conditions.