TREATMENT OF A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER PATIENT WITH EEG-DRIVEN PHOTIC-STIMULATION

This study examined the effects of electroencephalographic- (EEG-) dri ven photic stimulation on a case of depressive disorder, as measured b y a psychometric test of mood states, EEG parameters, and several auto nomic indices. The EEG-driven photic stimulation enhances the alpha rh ythm of brain waves using photic signals, the brightness of which is m odulated by a subject's own alpha rhythm. The patient was a 37-year-ol d businessman, who was treated for depression with medication during t he 13 months prior to his first visit to our hospital. He underwent tw o sets of inpatient treatment sessions, comprising first 16 and then 1 8 treatment sessions. The treatments brought about the following chang es: an improvement in general mood state, alpha rhythm increase, cardi ac parasympathetic suppression and increased skin conductance level. I n addition, significant correlations between alpha rhythm increase and cardiac parasympathetic suppression or cardiac sympathetic predominan ce were observed with each inpatient treatment Significant correlation s between alpha rhythm increase, cardiac parasympathetic suppression o r cardiac sympathetic predominance and the improvement of general mood state were also observed. Thus, from these observations, it was concl uded that the alpha enhancement induced by EEG-driven photic stimulati on produced an improvement in the patient's depressive symptomatology connected with cardiac parasympathetic suppression and sympathetic pre dominance.