Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40702439›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2025

Personalized EEG-guided brain stimulation targeting in major depression via network controllability and multi-objective optimization.

Aihua Wang, Jingnan Sun

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Aihua WangSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Bohai University, Jingzhou, 121000, China. wangaihua@qymail.bhu.edu.cn.
Jingnan SunSchool of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with widespread disruptions in brain network dynamics. Although noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has shown promise as an alternative treatment, its efficacy remains limited due to a lack of individualized targeting strategies that account for functional and topological heterogeneity in brain networks.

methodsThis study developed a novel EEG-based framework to personalize NIBS strategies in MDD. Resting-state EEG data from 30 healthy controls and 34 MDD patients were analyzed. Functional connectivity was estimated across five frequency bands using phase locking value (PLV), amplitude envelope correlation (AEC), and weighted phase lag index (wPLI). Spectral graph embedding and structural controllability theory were applied to identify candidate stimulation targets. A multi-objective optimization algorithm (NSGA-II) was used to select optimal node-frequency-amplitude combinations minimizing control energy while maximizing network efficiency gain and structural restoration. Kuramoto-based neural simulations were conducted to evaluate stimulation efficacy in silico, quantifying changes in global synchrony, modularity, and local efficiency.

resultsMDD patients exhibited hyperconnectivity in PLV and AEC and reduced wPLI compared to controls. Control nodes in MDD were more centrally distributed, particularly around Cz in alpha and beta bands. NSGA-II optimization yielded subject-specific stimulation strategies with favorable trade-offs. Simulated stimulation significantly enhanced global synchrony (median R = 0.68, SD = 0.30), reduced network modularity (median ΔQ = - 0.0017, SD = 2.93), and improved local efficiency (median ΔEff = 0.0158, SD = 0.0038). Individualized stimulation plans consistently outperformed random controls in restoring network-level metrics.

conclusionsThe proposed framework enables data-driven, mathematically interpretable, and simulation-validated planning of personalized brain stimulation strategies for MDD. These findings highlight the potential of EEG-based network analysis and multi-objective optimization in guiding precision neuromodulation interventions.

Indexed as

BrainElectroencephalographyMajor Depressive DisorderNerve NetAdultAlgorithmsCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrecision MedicineBrain network controllabilityEEGMajor depressive disorderPersonalized stimulation

Identifiers

PMID40702439
PMCPMC12288337

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.