Abstract

Background: Depression, a serious mental health issue, linked to disruption in mood and cognitive abilities. One of the most crucial elements in the diagnosis and treatment of depression is its severity. Few researches have been conducted to determine the severity of depression on the brainstem and cognitive functioning. Therefore, this study focuses on evaluating brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and event-related potential (P300) parameters among depressive patients regarding severity levels (mild, moderate, and severe).

Aims and Objective: The study aims to assess BAEPs and ERP (P300) parameters among different severity levels (mild, moderate, and severe) of depressive patients and compare the results.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 55 depressive patients divided into three groups fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) for major depressive disorder (MDD). The severity of depression was measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The BAEPs and ERP (P300) were recorded using NeuroStim-NS 2 and auditory oddball paradigm, respectively. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc tests. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: A significant difference was found among three groups of depression severity in BAEPs, wave I for the right ear and IPL I-III for the left ear. P300 wave latency was found to be significant between mild and moderate, and also between moderate and severe groups.

Conclusion: The reported differences in BAEPs and ERP P300 latencies can be attributed to the delay in auditory processing of depressive individuals.

Key words: Depression; Severity; Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials; Event-Related Potentials; Cognition