Longitudinal qEEG changes correlate with clinical outcomes in patients with somatic symptom disorder

Abstract

Objective: The quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) of patients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) was not yet thoroughly studied. This study aimed to investigate qEEG of SSD patients compared with those of normal controls (NCs), and changes therein after treatment.

Methods: SSD patients currently without treatment and age- and sex-matched NCs were recruited. Spectral analysis of 64-channel EEG recording was performed and somatization, anxiety, and depression were evaluated via self-rating scales at baseline. After six months of treatment as usual, SSD patients were longitudinally followed up for assessments.

Results: At baseline, the SSD group (n = 44) had higher alpha (p = 0.047) and lower beta 2 (p = 0.027) and gamma power (p = 0.001) compared with NCs (n = 29). After 6-month treatment, SSD patients showed improvement in symptoms, as well as increased beta 1 (p = 0.032), beta 2 (p = 0.012), and gamma power (p = 0.009) compared with baseline. A significant correlation was observed between the change in somatization score and temporal gamma power (r = -0.424, p = 0.031), and between the change in anxiety score and beta 2 power in the frontal (r = -0.420, p = 0.033) and central (r = -0.484, p = 0.012) regions.

Conclusions: EEG findings in this study may provide neurophysiological features of SSD. The alpha enhancement and reduced fast wave activity may reflect attentional dysfunction in patients with SSD. Decreased fast wave activity is reversible and may serve as a state marker of SSD.

Keywords: Electroencephalography; Medically unexplained symptoms; Somatic symptom disorder; Somatoform disorders; Spectral analysis.