H. Horie

Treatment of a depressive disorder patient with EEG-driven photic stimulation

This study examined the effects of electroencephalographic-(EEG-) driven photic stimulation on a case of depressive disorder, as measured by a psychometric test of mood states, EEG parameters, and several autonomic indices. The EEG-driven photic stimulation enhances the alpha rhythm of brain waves using photic signals, the brightness of which is modulated by a subjects own alpha rhythm. The patient was a 37-year-old businessman, who was treated for depression with medication during the 13 months prior to his first visit to our hospital. He underwent two sets of inpatient treatment sessions, comprising first 16 and then 18 treatment sessions. The treatments brought about the following changes: an improvement in general mood state, alpha rhythm increase, cardiac parasympathetic suppression, and increased skin conductance level. In addition, significant correlations between alpha rhythm increase and cardiac parasympathetic suppression or cardiac sympathetic predominance were observed with each inpatient treatment. Significant correlations between alpha rhythm increase, cardiac parasympathetic suppression, or cardiac sympathetic predominance and the improvement of general mood state were also observed. Thus, from these observations, it was concluded that the alpha enhancement induced by EEG-driven photic stimulation produced an improvement in the patients depressive symptomatology connected with cardiac parasympathetic suppression and sympathetic predominance.

Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Eating Disorder Inventory.

The rapid increase of patients with eating disorders in Japan has made necessary the reliable and valid measurement of psychological factors in eating disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Eating Disorder Inventory. 766 females without eating disorders and 139 female patients with eating disorders responded to the Eating Attitude Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory. Principal factor extraction with promax rotation isolated 9 interpretable factors with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range = .74–.90). Compared with controls, patients scored significantly higher on all factors after minimizing the influence of Body Mass Index. There were strong correlations among factor scores and scores on the Eating Attitudes Test, particularly among patients. These results indicate the Eating Disorder Inventory as showing psychometrically sound internal consistency and concurrent validity.

EEG-driven photic stimulation effect on plasma cortisol and β-endorphin

The effect of EEG-driven photic stimulation on stress-related endocrine function was studied. Subjects were 16 healthy males divided into a photic stimulation group (n=8) and a control group (n=8). Electrodermal and emotional lability measures were assessed by nonspecific skin conductance response and the Maudsley Personality Inventory, respectively. Plasma cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations were measured both before and after EEG-driven photic stimulation as well as the resting condition. Subjects with electrodermal, emotional, or both lability showed comparable decreases of plasma β-endorphin on photic stimulation as did the stable subjects. Under resting control conditions, however, they showed significant increases of β-endorphin compared to both stable subjects as well as the photic stimulation condition. In addition, labile subjects showed significant alpha enhancement on photic stimulation compared to stable subjects and to the resting control condition. The data suggest that increases of plasma β-endorphin in labile control subjects may denote a stress response to the conditions of these experiments, and that any decrease by EEG-driven photic stimulation may indicate a reduction of responsiveness to an acute stress.