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Methods Inf Med 2010; 49(05): 484-491
DOI: 10.3414/ME09-02-0038
Special Topic – Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Connectivity Analysis of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials in Patients with Major Depression

L. Leistritz   *
2   Institute of Medical Statistics, Computer Sciences and Documentation, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
T. Weiss   *
1   Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
J. Ionov
2   Institute of Medical Statistics, Computer Sciences and Documentation, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
K.-J. Bär
3   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
,
W. H. R. Miltner
1   Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
H. Witte
2   Institute of Medical Statistics, Computer Sciences and Documentation, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received: 16 October 2009

accepted: 13 January 2010

Publication Date:
17 January 2018 (online)

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Summary

Objectives: Connectivity analysis was used to investigate the processing of intracutaneous stimuli and directed interactions within the pain matrix in patients with major depression (MD) and healthy controls (HCs), by means of frequency selective generalized partial directed coherence (gPDC).

Methods: Eighteen patientswithMDand 18 HCs underwent stimulations consisting of moderately painful intracutaneous electrical stimuli to the right and left middle fingers. Connectivity analysis was based on nine selected EEG electrodes.

Results: Stimulus-induced changes of the gPDC in a pre/post stimulus comparison and changes in the connectivity pattern in the post-stimulus condition were found. We could identify network changes correlating to the side stimulated, as well as differences between HCs and MD patients.

Conclusions: These data support the suggestion that pain processing in response to noxious stimulation in MD patients is different compared to healthy controls, suggesting aberrant functional connectivity. Generalized partial directed coherence is shown to be a promising method to detect changes in connectivity in both within- and between-subject designs.

Keywords

EEG - generalized partial directed coherence - major depression - connectivity analysis

* These authors contributed equally to this work.


 

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