EEG Features in Adolescent Females with Self-Injurious Behavior in Endogenous Depressions

Abstract

Background: the study of clinical and neurophysiological aspects of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI), as one of the forms and risk factors for suicidal behavior in adolescents, including those suffering from mental disorders, is an urgent medical and social scientific task. Objective: To identify the features of EEG in depressive adolescent females with NSSI compared with EEG of age norm. Patients and methods: the study included 60 female patients aged 16–25 years with NSSI in the structure of endogenous depressive conditions, and 20 healthy subjects of the same gender and age. Clinical, psychopathological, psychometric, neurophysiological and statistical methods were used. Topographic EEG mapping revealed differences in the background EEG quantitative parameters of two studied groups. Results and discussion: spectral power values of alpha-2 (9–11 Hz) and alpha-1 (8–9 Hz) EEG frequency components in occipital-parietal and temporal leads, of theta-2 activity (6–8 Hz) in central-parietal leads, as well as of delta activity (2–4 Hz) in frontal and anterior temporal leads were higher in the left hemisphere, reflected increased activation of the right hemisphere. Generalized bilaterally synchronous alpha-theta bursts were registered regularly in EEG of NSSI patients, as well. Conclusions: the spatial distribution of EEG frequency components in depressive patients with NSSI indicates relatively decreased functional state of the cortex, especially of the left hemisphere and of its anterior regions, responsible for voluntary control of activity, with higher level of activation of temporal regions of the right hemisphere, associated with formation of negative emotions, and increased excitability of brain limbic-diencephalic structures, that may underlie poor controlled impulsive behavior.