A clinical follow-up study of 5 kinds of brain evoked potentials in patients with depressive disorder

Objective To explore the characteristics and treatment effects of different brain evoked potentials(BEPs)in patients with depressive episode.Methods The auditory evoked potentials(AEP), visual evoked potentials(VEP),auditory event-related potentials(P30o),mismatch negativity(MMN)and contingent negative variations(CNV)were recorded and measured in 38 patients with depression and 33 normal controls,and 18 patients were followed up after clinical remission.Results(1)In comparison with controls,the patient had prolonged latencies of AEP-N_1[(88±18)ms vs.(104±25)ms,P0.01], decreased amplitude of N_1-P_2[(5.3±1.9)μV,vs.(3.7±1.6)μV,P0.01],prolonged latencies of VEP-N_1[(125±19)msvs.(141±21)ms,P0.01]and of P_(300)-P_(3b)[(316±26)ms vs.(330±21)ms, P0.05],decreased amplitude of P_(300)-P_(3b)[(6.6±3.8)μV vs.(4.2±1.7)μV,P0.01],decreased amplitude of CNV and prolonged reaction time[(213±81)ms vs.(306±126)ms,P0.01].(2)After clinical remission,the amplitudes of AEP-N_1,AEP-P_2,VEP-P_2,MMN,CNV,and latencies of P_(300)-P_(3b)in patients showed significant changes as compared with baseline(P0.05 or P0.01).Conclusion The characteristics of AEP,VEP,P_(300)and CNV are different in patients with depression episode from normal controls,and could be improved after antidepressants treatment.