Medication selection in depression still relies primarily on trial and error, frustrating both patients and clinicians. Diagnostic tests that predict treatment response in advance could facilitate an informed approach and reduce suffering. Ideally, those tests would directly measure brain function. The primary research test of brain function, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), is too expensive to scale to routine care. Electroencephalography (EEG), however, is comparatively inexpensive and fast and could be made available in many settings. Plus, as a direct measure of localized brain activity, EEG is ideal for dissecting the connections between neurotransmission, symptoms, and pharmacologic response.

抑郁症患者的药物选择仍然主要依赖于反复试验，这使患者和临床医生都感到沮丧。可以预先预测治疗反应的诊断测试可以促进知情的方法并减少痛苦。理想情况下，这些测试将直接测量大脑功能。脑功能的主要研究测试，即功能磁共振成像（fMRI），太昂贵了，无法扩展到常规护理。然而，脑电图（EEG）相对便宜且快速，并且可以在许多环境中使用。另外，作为局部大脑活动的直接量度，EEG非常适合解剖神经传递，症状和药理反应之间的联系。