Summary
While reports of EEG correlates of psychiatric disorders date back five decades, clinical sensitivity of the EEG to psychiatric disorders has been greatly enhanced with the advent of quantitative methods of analysis (QEEG). Using a QEEG methodology known as neurometrics we have identified distinctive electrophysiological profiles associated with different psychiatric disorders. With this method quantitative features are extracted from 2 minutes of artifact- free eyes closed resting EEG data, log transformed to obtain Gaussianity, age-regressed, and Z-transformed relative to population norms. Using small subsets of neurometric features, multiple stepwise discriminant analyses were used to construct mathematical classifier functions, the values of which are different for members of different a priori defined diagnostic groups. Using this approach, we have demonstrated high discriminant accuracy in independent replications separating many populations of psychiatric patients from normal as well as from each other, including major affective disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, alcoholism, and learning disabilities, as well as high accuracy of discrimination between known subtypes of depression (unipolar vs bipolar). The use of classification accuracy curves (CACs) which allow one to assess the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the discriminant functions is discussed. In addition, using cluster analysis, neurometric subtypes can be identified in several clinically homogenous populations. Preliminary results suggest that baseline membership in some neurometric subtypes may be highly correlated with response to treatment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahn, H., Prichep, L., John, E., Baird, H., Trepetin, M., and Kaye, H. Developmental equations reflect brain dysfunction. Science, 1980, 210: 1259–1262.
Alvarez, A., Pascual, R., and Valdez, P. U.S. EEG developmental equations confirmed for Cuban schoolchildren. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1987, 67: 330–332.
Berger, H. Electroencephalogram of man. Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr., 1937, 106: 577–584.
Czobor, P. and Volavka, J. Pretreatment EEG predicts shortterm response to haloperidol treatment. Biolog. Psychiat., 1991, 30: 927–942.
Fitz-Gerald, M. J. and Patrick, G. Longitudinal quantitative eeg findings after acute carbon monoxide exposure: Two case studies. Clin. Electroencephalography, 1991, 22(4): 217–224.
Gasser, T., Bacher, P., and Mochs, J. Transformation towards the normal distribution of broadband spectral parameters of the EEG. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1982, 53: 119–124.
Harmony, T. Neurometría y maduracion cerebral. Neurol. Neurocir. Psiquiatr., 1984, 25(7).
Harmony, T. Psychophysiological evaluation of children's neuropsychological disorders. In Reynolds, C., editor, Handbook of Child Clinical Neuropsychology, 1988, chapter 15, pages 265–290. Plenum, New York.
Harmony, T., Alvarez, A., Pascual, R., Ramos, A., Marosi, E., Leon, A. D. D., Valdes, P., and Becker, J. EEG maturation on children with different economic and psychosocial characteristics. Intl. J. Neurosci., 1987, 31: 103–113.
John, E., Ahn, H., Prichep, L., Trepetin, M., Brown, D., and Kaye, H. Developmental equations for the electroencephalogram. Science, 1980, 210: 1255–1258.
John, E., Harmony, T., and Valdes-Sosa, P. The use of statistics in electrophysiology. In Remond, A., editor, Handbook of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol III, Computer Analysis of the EEG and Other Neurophysiological Signals, 1987, pages 497–540. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
John, E. and Prichep, L. Neurometric studies of aging and cognitive impairment. In Uylings, H., Eden, C. V., Bruin, J. D., Corner, M., and Feenstra, M., editors, The Prefrontal Cortex, its Structure, Function and Pathology. Progress in Brain Research, 1990, pages 545–555. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
John, E., Prichep, L., Ahn, H., Easton, P., Fridman, J., and Kaye, H. Neurometric evaluation of cognitive dysfunctions and neurological disorders in children. Progress in Neurobiol., 1983, 21: 239–290.
John, E., Prichep, L., Fridman, J., and Easton, P. Neurometrics: Computer assisted differential diagnosis of brain dysfunctions. Science, 1988a, 293: 162–169.
John, E., Prichep, L., Friedman, J., and Essig-Peppard, T. Neurometric classification of patients with different psychiatric disorders. In Samson-Dollfus, D., editor, Statistics and Topography in Quantitative EEG, 1988b, pages 88–95. Elsevier, Paris.
Jonkman, E., Poortvliet, D., Veering, M., deWeerd, A., and John, E. The use of neurometrics in the study of patients with cerebral ischemia. Electroenceph. and clin. Neurophysiol., 1985, 51: 333–341.
Mas, F., Prichep, L., John, E., and Levine, R. Neurometric Q-EEG subtyping of obsessive compulsive disorder. In Maurer, K., editor, Imaging of the Brain in Psychiatry and Related Fields. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1991.
Matousek, M. and Petersén, I. Norms for the EEG. In Kellaway, P. and Petersen, I., editors, Automation of Clinical Electroencephalography, 1973, pages 75–102. Raven, New York.
Oken, B. and Chiappa, K. Statistical issues concerning computerized analysis of brainwave topography. Annals of Neurology, 1986, 19: 493–494.
Prichep, L. Neurometric quantitative EEG measures of depressive disorders. In Takahashi, R., Flor-Henry, P., Gruzelier, J., and Niwa, S., editors, Cerebral Dynamics, Laterality and Psychopathology, 1987, pages 55–69. Elsevier, Amsterdam, New York, Oxford.
Prichep, L., John, E., Essig-Peppard, T., and Alper, K. Neurometric subtyping of depressive disorders. In Cazzullo, C., Invernizzi, G., Sacchetti, E., and Vita, A., editors, Plasticity and Morphology of the Central Nervous System. M.T.P. Press, London, 1990a.
Prichep, L., John, E., Ferris, S., Reisberg, B., Alper, K., and Cancro, R. Quantitative EEG correlates of cognitive deterioration in the elderly. In New Research Program and Abstracts: American Psychiatric Association 143rd. Annual Meeting, 1990b, page 301, New York, New York.
Prichep, L., Mas, F., John, E., and Levine, R. Neurometric subtyping of obsessive compulsive disorders. In Stefanis, C., Rabavilas, A., and Soldatos, C., editors, Psychiatry: A World Perspective - Volume 1, 1991, pages 557–562. Elsevier.
Roemer, R., Shagass, C., Dubin, W., Joffe, R., and Katz, R. Relationship between pretreatment electroencephalographic coherence measures and subsequent response to electroconvulsive therapy: A preliminary study. Neuropsychobiol., 1991, 180.
Senf, G. Neurometric brain mapping in the diagnostic rehabilitation of cognitive brain dysfunction. Cognitive Rehabilitation, 1988, 6: 20–37.
Shagass, C., Roemer, R., Straumanis, J., and Josiassen, R. Psychiatric diagnostic discriminations with combinations of quantitative EEG variables. Brit. J. Psychiat., 1984, 144: 581–592.
Struve, F., Straumanis, J., Patrick, G., and Price, L. Topographic mapping of quantitative EEG variables in chronic heavy marijuana users: Empirical findings with psychiatric patients. Clin. Electroenceph., 1989, 20(1): 6–23.
Struve, F., Straumanis, J., Patrick, G., and Raz, Y. Quantitative EEG and cognitive evoked potentials in chronic marijuana users. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophyiol., 1990, 75(1): 145.
Swets, J. Measuring the accuracy of diagnostic systems. Science, 1988, 240: 1285–1293.
Thatcher, R., Walker, R., Gerson, I., and Geisler, F. EEG discriminant analyses of mild head trauma. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1989, 73: 94–106.
Veering, N., Jonkman, E., Poortvliet, D., de Weerd, A., Tans, J., and John, E. The effect of reconstructive vascular surgery on clinical status, quantitative EEG and cerebral blood flow in patients with cerebral ischaemia. A three month follow-up study in operated and unoperated stroke patients. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1986, 64(5): 383–393.
de Weerd, A., Veldhuizen, R., Veering, M., and Poortvliet, D. Long-term clinical and neurophysiological effects of reconstructive vascular surgery for cerebral ischemia. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 1989, 79: 311–315.
Yingling, C., Galin, D., Fein, G., Peltzman, D., and Davenport, L. Neurometrics does not detect ‘pure’ dyslexics. Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1986, 63: 426–430.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Prichep, L.S., John, E.R. QEEG profiles of psychiatric disorders. Brain Topogr 4, 249–257 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01135562
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01135562