QUANTITATIVE EEG IN THE PREDICTION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT RESPONSE TO IMIPRAMINE

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of quantitative e lectroencephalography (QEEG) in the prediction of response to imiprami ne in depressed patients. Forty patients with a diagnosis of unipolar depression were subjected to a placebo washout and were assessed at pr e-drug, 3 h after their first dose of imipramine, and again 2 weeks in to treatment. Following 4 weeks of open imipramine treatment, patients were separated into responder (R) and non-responder (NR) groups. Stat istical analysis of the 29 patients who completed the study focused on group comparisons of power spectral estimates in four frequency bands from multi-channel recordings. Results showed that theta power differ entiated R and NR groups prior to treatment, in response to an acute t est dose, as well as after 2 weeks of active drug treatment. Results b ased on this exploratory study suggest that QEEG may be a useful early predictor of response to imipramine.