Resting EEG theta connectivity and alpha power to predict repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation response in depression: A non-replication from the ICON-DB consortium

Neil W Bailey; Noralie Krepel; Hanneke van Dijk; Andrew F Leuchter; Fidel Vila-Rodriguez; Daniel M Blumberger; Jonathan Downar; Andrew Wilson; Zafiris J Daskalakis; Linda L Carpenter; Juliana Corlier; Martijn Arns; Paul B Fitzgerald

doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2020.10.018

Resting EEG theta connectivity and alpha power to predict repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation response in depression: A non-replication from the ICON-DB consortium

Clin Neurophysiol. 2021 Feb;132(2):650-659. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.10.018. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, Epworth Healthcare, The Epworth Clinic, Camberwell, Victoria 3004, Australia; Monash University, Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: neil.bailey@monash.edu.
² Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
³ Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Location AMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands.
⁴ TMS Clinical and Research Program, Neuromodulation Division, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Dept. of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Therapies Laboratory, Dpt. Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁶ Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Dept. of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
⁹ Research Institute Brainclinics, Brainclinics Foundation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Location AMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands.
¹⁰ Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, Epworth Healthcare, The Epworth Clinic, Camberwell, Victoria 3004, Australia; Monash University, Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Commercial Rd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 33223495
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.10.018

Abstract

Objective: Our previous research showed high predictive accuracy at differentiating responders from non-responders to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depression using resting electroencephalography (EEG) and clinical data from baseline and one-week following treatment onset using a machine learning algorithm. In particular, theta (4-8 Hz) connectivity and alpha power (8-13 Hz) significantly differed between responders and non-responders. Independent replication is a necessary step before the application of potential predictors in clinical practice. This study attempted to replicate the results in an independent dataset.

Methods: We submitted baseline resting EEG data from an independent sample of participants who underwent rTMS treatment for depression (N = 193, 128 responders) (Krepel et al., 2018) to the same between group comparisons as our previous research (Bailey et al., 2019).

Results: Our previous results were not replicated, with no difference between responders and non-responders in theta connectivity (p = 0.250, Cohen's d = 0.1786) nor alpha power (p = 0.357, η_p² = 0.005).

Conclusions: These results suggest that baseline resting EEG theta connectivity or alpha power are unlikely to be generalisable predictors of response to rTMS treatment for depression.

Significance: These results highlight the importance of independent replication, data sharing and using large datasets in the prediction of response research.

Keywords: Alpha power; Depression; EEG; ICON-DB; Replication; Theta connectivity; rTMS.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Alpha Rhythm*
Depressive Disorder, Major / physiopathology*
Depressive Disorder, Major / therapy
Electroencephalography / methods*
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Theta Rhythm*
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods*
Treatment Outcome