INTRODUCTION: The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected the economy, daily life, and mental/physical health. The latter includes the use of electroencephalography (EEG) in clinical practice and research. We report a survey of the impact of COVID-19 on the use of clinical EEG in practice and research in several countries, and the recommendations of an international panel of experts for the safe application of EEG during and after this pandemic. METHODS: Fifteen clinicians from 8 different countries and 25 researchers from 13 different countries reported the impact of COVID-19 on their EEG activities, the procedures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and precautions planned or already implemented during the reopening of EEG activities. RESULTS: Of the 15 clinical centers responding, 11 reported a total stoppage of all EEG activities, while 4 reduced the number of tests per day. In research settings, all 25 laboratories reported a complete stoppage of activity, with 7 laboratories reopening to some extent since initial closure. In both settings, recommended precautions for restarting or continuing EEG recording included strict hygienic rules, social distance, and assessment for infection symptoms among staff and patients/participants. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the use of EEG recordings in clinical practice and even more in clinical research. We suggest updated best practices to allow safe EEG recordings in both research and clinical settings. The continued use of EEG is important in those with psychiatric diseases, particularly in times of social alarm such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
OBJECTIVES: Although schizencephaly belongs to the class of neurodevelopmental disorders, which are a well-known predisposing factor for psychosis, there is a lack of relevant studies and diagnostic guidelines on this relationship. METHOD: A case report of first-episode psychosis with persistent negative symptoms associated with schizencephaly is described and compared with 7 other cases found in the literature. RESULTS: We found perinatal pathology, cognitive deficit, and EEG abnormality in a patient with atypical initial symptoms of psychosis such as olfactory hallucinations. Abnormal EEG findings (left frontal spikes and frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity) called for magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed left parieto-occipital closed-lip schizencephaly. The patient exhibited a partial response to low-dose amisulpride treatment. CONCLUSION: We conclude that schizencephaly in our patient was at first asymptomatic and later developed into clinically manifest schizophrenia-like disorder. Both magnetic resonance imaging and EEG were essential tools for establishing this diagnosis.
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- dospělí MeSH
- elektroencefalografie MeSH
- fenotyp MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mozek patofyziologie MeSH
- psychotické poruchy komplikace patologie patofyziologie MeSH
- schizencefalie komplikace patofyziologie MeSH
- schizofrenie komplikace patologie patofyziologie MeSH
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- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- kazuistiky MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
The aims of this double-blind study were to assess and compare the efficacy of quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) prefrontal theta band cordance in the prediction of response to 4-week, right, prefrontal, 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or venlafaxine ER in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Prefrontal QEEG cordance values of 50 inpatients (25 subjects in each group) completing 4 weeks of the study were obtained at baseline and after 1 week of treatment. Depressive symptoms were assessed using Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at baseline and at week 1 and 4. Treatment response was defined as a ≥50% reduction in baseline MADRS total score. All responders (n = 9) and 6 of 16 nonresponders in the rTMS group had reduced cordance at week 1 (P < .01). Reduction of theta cordance value at week 1 was detected in all responders (n = 10) to venlafaxine ER, but only in 4 of 15 nonresponders (P = .005). The comparison of the areas under the curve of cordance change for prediction of response between rTMS (0.75) and venlafaxine ER (0.89) treated groups yielded no significant difference (P = .27). Our study indicates that prefrontal QEEG cordance is a promising tool not only for predicting the response to certain antidepressants but also to rTMS treatment, with comparable predictive efficacy for both therapeutic interventions.
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- algoritmy MeSH
- antidepresiva druhé generace terapeutické užití MeSH
- cyklohexanoly terapeutické užití MeSH
- depresivní porucha unipolární diagnóza patofyziologie terapie MeSH
- diagnóza počítačová metody MeSH
- dvojitá slepá metoda MeSH
- elektroencefalografie metody MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- prefrontální mozková kůra účinky léků patofyziologie MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- senzitivita a specificita MeSH
- theta rytmus EEG účinky léků MeSH
- transkraniální magnetická stimulace metody MeSH
- výsledek terapie MeSH
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- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- klinické zkoušky kontrolované MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Recent findings indicate that conscious attention is related to large-scale information integration of various brain regions, including both hemispheres, that enables integration of parallel distributed modalities of processed information. There is also evidence that the level of information transference related to integration or splitting among brain regions, and between hemispheres, establishes a certain level of efficiency of the information processing. The level of information transference also may have modulatory influences on attentional capacity that are closely linked to the emotional arousal and autonomic response related to a stimulus. These findings suggest a hypothesis that changes in conscious attention, specifically during meditation could be reflected in the autonomic activity as the left-right information transference calculated from bilateral electrodermal activity (EDA). With the aim to compare conscious attention during meditation with other attentional states (resting state, Stroop task, and memory task), we performed bilateral EDA measurement in 7 healthy persons during resting state, Stroop task, neurofeedback memory test, and meditation. The results indicate that the information transference (ie, transinformation) is able to distinguish those attentional states, and that the highest level of the transinformation has been found during attentional processing related to meditation, indicating higher level of connectivity between left and right sides. Calculations other than pointwise transinformation (PTI) performed on EDA records, such as mean skin conductance level or laterality index, were not able to distinguish attentional states. The results suggest that PTI may present an interesting method useful for the assessment of information flow, related to neural functioning, that in the case of meditation may reflect typical integrative changes in the autonomic nervous system related to brain functions and focused attentional processing.
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- dospělí MeSH
- elektroencefalografie * MeSH
- funkční lateralita fyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mapování mozku MeSH
- meditace * MeSH
- modely neurologické MeSH
- neurofeedback MeSH
- paměť fyziologie MeSH
- pozornost fyziologie MeSH
- Stroopův test MeSH
- vědomí fyziologie MeSH
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- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Reported findings indicate that attentional narrowing is related to decreased complexity and increased inhibition of neural assemblies. These findings suggest that analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) complexity could present a useful method for research of attentional changes related to dissociation. To examine this model we used a case study to test the two hypotheses: (1) that successful anticonvulsant medication would result in dissociative symptom alleviation, improvement of inhibitory neural functions, and decreased EEG complexity, and (2) that cognitive conflict, related to aversive events in the patient's past experience, during reliving of a dissociative state would lead to greater allocation of attention and decreased EEG complexity. Three EEG studies recorded in the eyes closed non-drowsy state were performed: (1) at baseline, (2) post-induction of dissociative state, and (3) post-anticonvulsant medication following induction of dissociative state. A dissociative state was achieved following an interview regarding the patient's aversive past experiences through use of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ). The patient's level of dissociation was measured using the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II). The PDEQ interview and DES-II assessment were also used one hour following the oral consumption of an anticonvulsant medication (clonazepam 2mg). Analysis of the data revealed that complexity values (PD2) are significantly lower following the oral consumption of clonazepam (2mg) in the majority of EEG channels. Additionally, complexity during the reliving of a dissociative state was statistically significantly lower than both the baseline and post-medication conditions in all but two EEG channels. Results of the case study suggest that changes in attentional processes linked to dissociation are related to: (1) decreased complexity when attention is extremely focused because of attentional narrowing to the disturbing past experience, and (2) increased complexity during ordinary experiences when attention is less narrowly focused.
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- antikonvulziva terapeutické užití MeSH
- arousal fyziologie MeSH
- disociační poruchy diagnóza farmakoterapie patofyziologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- elektroencefalografie metody MeSH
- klonazepam terapeutické užití MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- pozornost fyziologie MeSH
- psychometrie MeSH
- úzkostné poruchy diagnóza patofyziologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- kazuistiky MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
