Alpha wave asymmetry is associated with only one component of melancholia, and in different directions across brain regions

Christopher F Sharpley; Vicki Bitsika; Shabah M Shadli; Emmanuel Jesulola; Linda L Agnew

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111687

Alpha wave asymmetry is associated with only one component of melancholia, and in different directions across brain regions

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2023 Sep:334:111687. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111687. Epub 2023 Jul 18.

Authors

Christopher F Sharpley¹, Vicki Bitsika², Shabah M Shadli², Emmanuel Jesulola³, Linda L Agnew⁴

Affiliations

¹ Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia; School of Science & Technology, University of New England, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia. Electronic address: csharpl3@une.edu.au.
² Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia.
³ Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia; Emmanuel Jesulola is now at Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia; Linda Agnew is now at Griffith University, Qld, Australia.

PMID: 37480706
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111687

Abstract

Alpha wave asymmetry inconsistently correlates with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). One possible reason for this inconsistency is the heterogeneity of MDD, leading to study of depressive 'subtypes', one of which is Melancholia. To investigate the correlation between Melancholia and alpha-wave asymmetry, 100 community participants (44 males, 56 females; aged at least 18 yr) completed the Zung self-rated Depression Scale, and underwent 3 min of eyes closed EEG recording from 24 scalp sites. There was no significant correlation between EEG data and Melancholia total score for the entire sample, but there was for those participants who had clinically significant depression (n = 33). When examined at the level of individual Melancholia scale items, significant EEG data correlations were found for some of the items but not for others. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for the Melancholia scale, only one of which exhibited significant correlations with EEG AA data. Further exploration of those data identified two subcomponents of that Melancholia factor, one which was inversely correlated with frontal alpha asymmetry, and another which was directly correlated with parietal-occipital alpha wave asymmetry. These findings suggest that Melancholia may itself be heterogeneous, similarly to MDD, and rely upon different aspects of cognitive function.

Keywords: Alpha; Asymmetry; EEG; Melancholia.

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Cognition
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Female
Humans
Male