SOURCE: Scientific Reports. 13(1):6366, 2023 Apr 19.
AUTHORS: Morris AT; Temereanca S; Zandvakili A; Thorpe R; Sliva DD; Greenberg BD; Carpenter LL; Philip NS; Jones SR
ABSTRACT: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) and shows promise for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet effectiveness varies. Electroencephalography (EEG) can identify rTMS-associated brain changes. EEG oscillations are often examined using averaging approaches that mask finer time-scale dynamics. Recent advances show some brain oscillations emerge as transient increases in power, a phenomenon termed “Spectral Events,” and that event characteristics correspond with cognitive functions. We applied Spectral Event analyses to identify potential EEG biomarkers of effective rTMS treatment. Resting 8-electrode EEG was collected from 23 patients with MDD and PTSD before and after 5 Hz rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Using an open-source toolbox (https://github.com/jonescompneurolab/SpectralEvents ), we quantified event features and tested for treatment associated changes. Spectral Events in delta/theta (1-6 Hz), alpha (7-14 Hz), and beta (15-29 Hz) bands occurred in all patients. rTMS-induced improvement in comorbid MDD PTSD were associated with pre- to post-treatment changes in fronto-central electrode beta event features, including frontal beta event frequency spans and durations, and central beta event maxima power. Furthermore, frontal pre-treatment beta event duration correlated negatively with MDD symptom improvement. Beta events may provide new biomarkers of clinical response and advance the understanding of rTMS.
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10115889/
