scholarly journals Testing the Asymmetric Inhibition Model: Frontal EEG Asymmetry Does Not Predict Inhibitory Control of Emotional Distractors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rosanna Moody
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Inhibition Model ◽  
Emotional Challenge ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

<p>Frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry is a reliable marker of psychopathology vulnerability, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. There is accumulating evidence that frontal asymmetry reflects individual differences in ability to use cognitive control to regulate emotional processing. This thesis provides the first test of the asymmetric inhibition model (Grimshaw & Carmel, 2014), which holds that frontal asymmetry reflects ability to engage valence-specific inhibitory control mechanisms supported by dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): left dlPFC inhibits negative distractors and right dlPFC inhibits positive distractors. Frontal asymmetry was tested as a predictor of ability to inhibit distracting emotional images. Frontal asymmetry was measured at rest and during emotional challenge, which is argued to provide a more powerful measure of individual differences (capability model; Coan, Allen, & McKnight, 2006). Emotional challenge was induced using a stressful serial subtraction task, verified to be effective in Study 1, followed by a silent speech preparation task, during which EEG was recorded. An irrelevant distractor paradigm measured ability to inhibit emotional distraction; participants identified a target letter within a central symbol array while attempting to inhibit positive, negative and neutral peripheral images (Study 2). Overall, positive and negative images were more distracting than neutral images. Critically, neither resting nor emotional challenge frontal asymmetry predicted distraction by positive, negative or neutral images, suggesting that frontal asymmetry does not reflect ability to inhibit irrelevant emotional distractors. Thus, the asymmetric inhibition model was not supported. This thesis provides the first direct test of the relationship between frontal EEG asymmetry and inhibitory control of emotion, paving the way for future explorations into this relationship. These findings add to a growing literature attempting to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying frontal asymmetry in order to better understand the etiology of psychopathology.</p>

scholarly journals Testing the Asymmetric Inhibition Model: Frontal EEG Asymmetry Does Not Predict Inhibitory Control of Emotional Distractors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rosanna Moody
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Inhibition Model ◽  
Emotional Challenge ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

<p>Frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry is a reliable marker of psychopathology vulnerability, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. There is accumulating evidence that frontal asymmetry reflects individual differences in ability to use cognitive control to regulate emotional processing. This thesis provides the first test of the asymmetric inhibition model (Grimshaw & Carmel, 2014), which holds that frontal asymmetry reflects ability to engage valence-specific inhibitory control mechanisms supported by dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): left dlPFC inhibits negative distractors and right dlPFC inhibits positive distractors. Frontal asymmetry was tested as a predictor of ability to inhibit distracting emotional images. Frontal asymmetry was measured at rest and during emotional challenge, which is argued to provide a more powerful measure of individual differences (capability model; Coan, Allen, & McKnight, 2006). Emotional challenge was induced using a stressful serial subtraction task, verified to be effective in Study 1, followed by a silent speech preparation task, during which EEG was recorded. An irrelevant distractor paradigm measured ability to inhibit emotional distraction; participants identified a target letter within a central symbol array while attempting to inhibit positive, negative and neutral peripheral images (Study 2). Overall, positive and negative images were more distracting than neutral images. Critically, neither resting nor emotional challenge frontal asymmetry predicted distraction by positive, negative or neutral images, suggesting that frontal asymmetry does not reflect ability to inhibit irrelevant emotional distractors. Thus, the asymmetric inhibition model was not supported. This thesis provides the first direct test of the relationship between frontal EEG asymmetry and inhibitory control of emotion, paving the way for future explorations into this relationship. These findings add to a growing literature attempting to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying frontal asymmetry in order to better understand the etiology of psychopathology.</p>

scholarly journals EEG Frontal Asymmetry in Dysthymia, Major Depressive Disorder and Euthymic Bipolar Disorder

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2414
Author(s):  
Chiara Spironelli ◽  
Francesca Fusina ◽  
Marco Bortolomasi ◽  
Alessandro Angrilli
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Quantitative Eeg ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry

In the last few decades, the incidence of mood disorders skyrocketed worldwide and has brought an increasing human and economic burden. Depending on the main symptoms and their evolution across time, they can be classified in several clinical subgroups. A few psychobiological indices have been extensively investigated as promising markers of mood disorders. Among these, frontal asymmetry measured at rest with quantitative EEG has represented the main available marker in recent years. Only a few studies so far attempted to distinguish the features and differences among diagnostic types of mood disorders by using this index. The present study measured frontal EEG asymmetry during a 5-min resting state in three samples of patients with bipolar disorder in a Euthymic phase (EBD, n = 17), major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 25) and persistent depressive disorder (PDD, n = 21), once termed dysthymia. We aimed to test the hypothesis that MDD and PDD lack the typical leftward asymmetry exhibited by normal as well as EBD patients, and that PDD shows greater clinical and neurophysiological impairments than MDD. Clinical scales revealed no symptoms in EBD, and significant larger anxiety and depression scores in PDD than in MDD patients. Relative beta (i.e., beta/alpha ratio) EEG asymmetry was measured from lateral frontal sites and results revealed the typical greater left than right frontal beta activity in EBD, as well as a lack of asymmetry in both MDD and PDD. The last two groups also had lower bilateral frontal beta activity in comparison with the EBD group. Results concerning group differences were interpreted by taking into account both the clinical and the neurophysiological domains.

scholarly journals A capability model of individual differences in frontal EEG asymmetry

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Coan ◽  
John J.B. Allen ◽  
Patrick E. McKnight
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry

Resting Frontal Eeg Asymmetry and Personality Traits: A Meta–Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas Kuper ◽  
Wiebke Käckenmester ◽  
Jan Wacker
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Asymmetry ◽  
Quantitative Review ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Withdrawal Motivation ◽  
Approach And Withdrawal ◽  
The Relationship

Frontal asymmetry has been widely used as a marker of emotion, motivation, and psychopathology. When assessed during the resting state, it is regarded as an index of trait approach and withdrawal motivation. However, the replicability of these associations with personality is currently unclear. The present meta–analysis seeks to provide a comprehensive quantitative review of the relationship between personality traits and resting electroencephalographic (EEG) frontal asymmetry. We distinguished five personality clusters: extraversion, neuroticism, impulsivity, anger, and defensiveness. Data from 79 independent samples with overall 5700 participants were included in the meta–analysis. The results revealed that less than 0.4% of the variance in extraversion and neuroticism could be explained by resting frontal asymmetry. Similarly, a small effect was observed for trait anger, and a small–sized to medium–sized effect was observed for defensiveness, although the number of studies was very low. No significant effect emerged for impulsivity. The effects were further reduced after adjustment for publication bias. Given some evidence for heterogeneity, sub–traits were analysed, and methodological moderators were investigated. Based on the results, we conclude that the validity of resting frontal asymmetry as a marker for personality is not supported. Finally, recommendations are given to increase the replicability of frontal asymmetry research. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals Neuroticism and Frontal EEG Asymmetry Correlated With Dynamic Facial Emotional Processing in Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Maryam Moshirian Farahi ◽  
Mohammad Javad Asghari Ebrahimabad ◽  
Ali Gorji ◽  
Imanollah Bigdeli ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Moshirian Farahi
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Eeg Asymmetry ◽  
Frontal Eeg Asymmetry

Individual differences in depression are associated with abnormal function of the limbic system in multiple sclerosis patients

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1094-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Riccelli ◽  
Luca Passamonti ◽  
Antonio Cerasa ◽  
Salvatore Nigro ◽  
Salvatore Maria Cavalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Limbic System ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Depression is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), although the brain mechanisms of this psychiatric condition in MS are poorly understood. Specifically, it remains to be determined whether depression in MS is related to altered activity and functional connectivity patterns within limbic circuits. Methods: Seventy-seven MS patients with variable levels of depression (as assessed via the Beck Depression Inventory) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an emotional processing task. To conduct the functional connectivity analyses, the bilateral amygdala and hippocampus, two areas critically involved in the pathophysiology of depression, were chosen as ‘seed’ regions. Multiple regression models were used to assess how depression in MS patients was correlated with the activity and functional connectivity patterns within the limbic system. Results: Depression scores in MS patients were negatively correlated: (1) with the activity in the subgenual cingulate cortex; (2) with the functional connectivity between the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and (3) with the functional connectivity between the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: Our study showed that individual differences in depression in MS patients were significantly associated with altered regional activity and functional connectivity patterns within the limbic system.

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