# Pharmaco-EEG of antipsychotics’ response: a systematic review

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how EEG patterns can predict how well people with schizophrenia will respond to antipsychotic medications.

## Contribution

The study systematically reviews EEG features associated with antipsychotic treatment response, identifying potential pre-treatment and treatment-related biomarkers.

## Key findings

- Pre-treatment EEG features like increased theta power and high alpha power predict poor antipsychotic response.
- During treatment, increased theta power and reduced beta-band activity are linked to better outcomes.
- EEG shows promise as a predictive biomarker for antipsychotic response, though results remain inconsistent and require further research.

## Abstract

Response to antipsychotic medications (AP) is subjected to a wide and unpredictable variability and efforts were directed to discover predictive biomarkers to personalize treatment. Electroencephalography abnormalities in subjects with schizophrenia were reported, as well as a pattern of EEG changes induced by APs

The aim of this review is to provide a synthesis of the EEG features that are related to APs efficacy, including both pre-treatment signatures and changes induced by APs during treatment.

A systematic review of English articles using PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews was undertaken in april 2023. Additional studies were added by hand-search. Studies having as an endpoint the relationship between AP-related clinical improvement and electroencephalographic features were included. Heterogeneity prevented a quantitative synthesis.

Out of 1232 records screened, 22 studies were included in a final qualitative synthesis. Included studies evaluated resting-state and task-related power spectra, functional connectivity, microstates and epileptic abnormalities. At pre-treatment EEG, the most relevant predictors of a poor response were a change in theta power compared to healthy control, a high alpha power and connectivity, a diminished beta power in resting-state. Considering EEG during treatment, an increased theta power, a reduced beta-band activity, an increased alpha activity, a decreased coherence in theta, alpha and beta-band were related to a favorable outcome.

EEG is promising as a method to create a predictive biomarker for response to APs; further investigations are warranted to harmonize and generalize the contradictory results of reviewed studies.

None Declared