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Abstract
In this study we compared the current density power and power asymmetry in 15 right-handed,
medication-free chronically depressed females (of the unipolar type) and age-matched
non-clinical female controls. We used frequency domain LORETA (Low-Resolution Electromagnetic
Tomography). In the interhemispheric asymmetry analysis, compared with the control
group, the depression group exhibited a left-to-right Alpha2 (10-12 Hz) current density
dominance in the left postcentral gyrus. The pattern of left-to-right dominance included
frontal (especially medial and middle frontal gyri) and temporal locations. The between
groups comparison of spectral power revealed decreased activity in the right middle
temporal gyrus in the depressed group. The decrease emerged in the whole frequency
spectrum analyzed (2-32 Hz), although it reached significance in the Delta (2-3.5
Hz) band only. These findings are discussed in terms of the existing literature on
affect using EEG, PET and SPECT.