Resting EEG Activity and Ovarian Hormones as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women without a Diagnosis of Major Depression

Silvia Solís-Ortiz, Elva Pérez-Luque, Maria del Pilar Pacheco-Zavala

Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, División de Ciencias de la Salud, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.
Instituto de Mexicano del Seguro Social UMF53 de León, Guanajuato, México.

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2012.329126                

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of depressive symptoms on resting EEG and their corre- lation with endogenous hormone levels in postmenopausal women without a diagnosis of major depress- sion. Fifty postmenopausal women aged 48 to 60 years were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory. EEG activity was recorded during rest with eyes closed in 23 participants with minimal and 27 with moderate depressive symptoms. Relative power for delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta1 and beta2 were analyzed and compared between women with minimal and moderate depressive symptoms. Hormonal levels of estrone, estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and lu- teinizing hormone were obtained and correlated with the EEG parameters. The women with moderate de- pressive symptoms showed more relative alpha1power (p = .01) and less relative beta 2 power (p = .03). Relative theta and alpha2 power, estradiol levels and menopausal years were predictors of depressive symptoms. Progesterone was negatively correlated with the theta band (p = .005) and positively correlated with the beta2 band (p = .02) in women with moderate depressive symptoms. Estrone was negatively cor- related with the alpha2 band (p = .05), and estradiol was positively correlated with the theta band (p = .02) and negatively correlated with the beta2 band (p = .05) in women with minimal depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that slow and fast EEG relative power, menopausal status and estrogen levels pre- dict depressive symptoms and that progesterone is related with moderate depression.

Keywords

EEG; Estrogen; Progesterone; Depression; Postmenopause

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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