Electroencephalographic Biomarkers for Treatment Response Prediction in Major Depressive Illness: A Meta-Analysis

What is it about?

Patients with depression often have to try multiple treatments, in a trial-and-error way, before getting better. Each trial takes 6 to 8 weeks, which can make recovery a slow and frustrating process. Biomarkers based on brain recordings (EEG) have been suggested as a way to detect more quickly whether a medication is working, and thus to shorten the trial process. The authors reviewed the literature on EEG biomarkers in depression as published through the end of 2017. They found that EEG appeared to have modest predictive ability for depression recovery, but that most of this effect could be explained by publishing and statistical bias. They suggest that EEG should not routinely be used in monitoring or predicting depression treatment until further and more rigorous research is conducted.

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