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Trait anxiety impact on posterior activation asymmetries at rest and during evoked negative emotions: EEG investigation.

Aftanas LI, Pavlov SV

Psychophysiology Laboratory, State-Research Institute of Physiology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Timakova str. 4, 630117, Novosibirsk, Russia. aftanas@iph.ma.nsc.ru

The main objective of the present investigation was to examine how high trait anxiety would influence cortical EEG asymmetries under non-emotional conditions and while experiencing negative emotions. The 62-channel EEG was recorded in control (n=21) and high anxiety (HA, n=18) non-patient individuals. Results showed that in HA subjects, the lowest level of arousal (eyes closed) was associated with stronger right-sided parieto-temporal theta-1 (4-6 Hz) and beta-1 (12-18 Hz) activity, whereas increased non-emotional arousal (eyes open, viewing neutral movie clip) was marked by persisting favored right hemisphere beta-1 activity. In turn, viewing aversive movie clip by the HA group led to significant lateralized decrease of the right parieto-temporal beta-1 power, which was initially higher in the emotionally neutral conditions. The EEG data suggests that asymmetrical parieto-temporal theta-1 and beta-1 EEG activity might be better interpreted in terms of Gray's BAS and BIS theory.

Published 15 December 2004 in Int J Psychophysiol, 55(1): 85-94.
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