REVIEW article
Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1624434
This article is part of the Research TopicNeurofeedback: applications, techniques, and validity in clinical and non-clinical useView all articles
Quantitative and qualitative electroencephalography in the diagnosis and monitoring of depression. A modern approach to clinical neurophysiology
Provisionally accepted
- University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland
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Context: Depressive disorders are one of the greatest public health challenges, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods are based on subjective clinical assessments, which limits their accuracy and reproducibility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement objective, easily accessible diagnostic tools. One such tool is quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), which allows for the analysis of the bioelectrical activity of the brain in a non-invasive and precise manner.In this narrative review, the latest research on the use of QEEG and traditional EEG in the assessment of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) was analysed. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed and SpringerLink databases, focusing on articles investigating the correlations between spectral EEG properties (alpha, beta, theta, delta, gamma waves) and symptoms of depression.The literature review indicates the presence of characteristic patterns of brain activity in patients with MDD, such as alpha wave asymmetry in the frontal areas, increased beta band activity, and changes in the theta and delta waves. This indicates the potential use of these parameters as biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of therapy effectiveness.Conclusions: QEEG and classical EEG may play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, supporting the development of personalised therapeutic strategies. Despite promising results, further research on the standardisation of methods and validation of neurophysiological indicators is needed to enable their wider application in psychiatric clinical practice.
Keywords: depressive disorders, EEG, qEEG, Neurophysiological Biomarkers, Frontal alpha asymmetry, Brain wave activity, Diagnosis of depression
Received: 07 May 2025; Accepted: 17 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kopańska, Ochojska, Sarzyńska, Bartkowska and Szczygielski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Marta Kopańska, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszów, Poland
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