ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus infection on clinical, neurophysiological and neuroimmunological parameters, as well as on their interrelations in young female depressive patients. Patients: a comparative analysis of quantitative clinical (according to the HDRS-17 scale), neurophysiological (EEG) and neuroimmunological (accordingto the "Neuro-immuno-test” technology) parameters was carried out in two groups of female depressive patients aged 16–25 years. The fi rst group included 46 patients who recovered from a mild or asymptomatic coronavirus infection ("COVID” group). The second group included 40 patients who were studied and treated before the start of the pandemic (i.e., those who did not have COVID — the "pre-COVID” group) and corresponding to patients of the fi rst group by gender, age, diagnoses, and syndrome structure of disorders. In all patients, prior to the start of the course of therapy, a multichannel EEG was recorded with the measurement of absolute spectral power and neuroimmunological parameters in blood plasma were determined. Methods: clinicalpsychopathological, psychometric, neurophysiological, neuroimmunological, statistical. Results: signifi cantly greater scores of somatic disorders cluster of HDRS-17 scale, and increased amount of slow-wave EEG activity (of delta, theta1 and theta2 subbands) were revealed in the "COVID” group in comparison to patients of "pre-COVID” group. Mean values of neuroimmunological parameters were not differed statistically between two groups, but the values of neuroplasticity markers (levels of autoantibodies to the S100b protein and to the basic myelin protein) in the "pre-COVID” group correlated positively with the spectral power values of the main EEG rhythm (alpha2 and alpha3 sub-bands), and in "COVID” group — with the values of the spectral power of slow-wave EEG activity, refl ecting a reduced brain functional state. Conclusion: the results obtained indicate that coronavirus infection, even in mild or asymptomatic forms, affects the clinical, neurophysiological and neuroimmunological parameters, as well as their interrelations in young female depressive patients. © 2023,Psychiatry (Moscow). All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
This paper extends frequency domain quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) methods pursuing higher sensitivity to detect Brain Developmental Disorders. Prior qEEG work lacked integration of cross-spectral information omitting important functional connectivity descriptors. Lack of geographical diversity precluded accounting for site-specific variance, increasing qEEG nuisance variance. We ameliorate these weaknesses. (i) Create lifespan Riemannian multinational qEEG norms for cross-spectral tensors. These norms result from the HarMNqEEG project fostered by the Global Brain Consortium. We calculate the norms with data from 9 countries, 12 devices, and 14 studies, including 1564 subjects. Instead of raw data, only anonymized metadata and EEG cross-spectral tensors were shared. After visual and automatic quality control, developmental equations for the mean and standard deviation of qEEG traditional and Riemannian DPs were calculated using additive mixed-effects models. We demonstrate qEEG "batch effects" and provide methods to calculate harmonized z-scores. (ii) We also show that harmonized Riemannian norms produce z-scores with increased diagnostic accuracy predicting brain dysfunction produced by malnutrition in the first year of life and detecting COVID induced brain dysfunction. (iii) We offer open code and data to calculate different individual z-scores from the HarMNqEEG dataset. These results contribute to developing bias-free, low-cost neuroimaging technologies applicable in various health settings.
Subject(s)
Brain Diseases , COVID-19 , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Brain Mapping , Electroencephalography/methods , HumansABSTRACT
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.