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Depression is one of the common psychological disorders that affects many people all over the world. The primary typical behavior of depression is persistent low mood, and it is one of the main reasons for disability worldwide. Due to the lack of awareness, treatment, and social stigma, it is leading to suicide and self-harm. It is necessary to identify the depression at a very initial stage to overcome further complications that may lead to suicide. In recent years, certain studies have been done on identifying depression through Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques. Electroencephalogram (EEG) can be used to detect depression since it is easy to record and non-invasive. The current paper focuses on developing an algorithm that will use the brain signals received through EEG and predict the person as Healthy or with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with the help of CNN through an asymmetry matrix, which achieved an accuracy of 89.5%, and it outperformed the previous traditional models. The current study shows that depression detection through EEG is one of the efficient techniques for detecting depression at its early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrophysiological correlates of meditation states in both short and long-term meditators have been increasingly documented; however, little is known about the brain activity associated with first-time meditation experiences. The goal of this study was to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of a single guided mindfulness meditation session in subjects with no previous meditation experience. We analyzed electroencephalogram (EEG) changes in signal power, hemispheric asymmetry, and information flow between EEG channels, in 16 healthy subjects who were new to meditation practice. Our results show that information flow decreases in the theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha ranges (8–13 Hz) during mindfulness meditation exercise as compared to control: a passive listening condition. These changes are accompanied by a general trend in the decrease of alpha power over the whole scalp. One possible interpretation of these results is that there is an increased level of alertness/vigilance associated with the meditation task rather than reaching the target state. Our study expands on the existing body of knowledge concerning neural oscillations during breathing meditation practice by showing that in participants with no previous meditation training, EEG correlates are different from the electrophysiological signatures of mindfulness meditation found in studies of more advanced practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined frontal electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry and negative affectivity (NA) as predictors of infant behaviors during the Still‐Face Paradigm (SFP). It was hypothesized that infants with lower NA subscale scores who also demonstrate greater left frontal activation would exhibit more frequent social engagement and self‐soothing behaviors during the SFP. Mothers reported infant temperament at 6–12 months of age (N = 62), and EEG was recorded during a baseline task and the SFP. Social engagement, distress, and self‐soothing behaviors were coded during the SFP. A three‐factor solution emerged based on exploratory factor analysis of eight infant behaviors. After considering bivariate relations, multiple regression analyses predicting the behavior factor labeled social engagement (containing vocalizations and handwaving; average factor loading =.56) were conducted separately for asymmetry and NA subscales, controlling for infant sex and age. The SFP asymmetry predicted social engagement after controlling for covariates and baseline asymmetry; however, NA subscales (falling reactivity and distress to limitations) did not uniquely explain significant variance. These findings highlight the importance of frontal EEG asymmetry in contributing to emerging social engagement and regulation in infancy. Implications include potentially utilizing asymmetry markers as screening and intervention targets in the first year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that physical exercises (PEs) not only are good for fitness but also contribute to mental health and well-being. The positive influence of PEs on emotion has become a topic of much excitement. However, a quantitative study is required to discuss the effect of short-term moderate-intensity PE on the emotional response by using electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry. The experiments, including 20-min moderate-intensity cycling and EEG data acquisition with picture-induced emotion assessment protocol, were designed in this paper. The experiment procedure consists of two emotion assessment sessions, each of which contains 24 pictures. About 80 participants were randomly allocated into the exercise group and the control group. Participants in the exercise group were instructed to have a 20-min moderate-intensity cycling after the first assessment session, then rested until their heart rates recovered to baselines and their emotional states were assessed again in the second session. The control group only had a 20-min break without the cycling exercise between the two sessions. It was observed that, in the control group, the EEG asymmetry had no significant difference in these two assessment sessions for both positive and negative stimulations. However, in the exercise group, the difference of the EEG asymmetry before and after PE was significant only in response to negative stimulations. Further, the in-depth analysis of EEG asymmetry index changes of individual participants shows that the short-term moderate-intensity PE has a positive impact in response to negative stimulations. The proposed experiments show that the negative emotional experience can be reduced by the moderate-intensity PE and support the hypothesis that the moderate-intensity PE is good at improving emotional response to negative stimulations. This study provides the evidence of positive effects of PE in the domain of emotion regulation with experimental data.

It is widely accepted that physical exercises (PEs) not only are good for fitness but also contribute to mental health and well-being. The positive influence of PEs on emotion has become a topic of much excitement. However, a quantitative study is required to discuss the effect of short-term moderate-intensity PE on the emotional response by using electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry. The experiments, including 20-min moderate-intensity cycling and EEG data acquisition with picture-induced emotion assessment protocol, were designed in this paper. The experiment procedure consists of two emotion assessment sessions, each of which contains 24 pictures. About 80 participants were randomly allocated into the exercise group and the control group. Participants in the exercise group were instructed to have a 20-min moderate-intensity cycling after the first assessment session, then rested until their heart rates recovered to baselines and their emotional states were assessed again in the second session. The control group only had a 20-min break without the cycling exercise between the two sessions. It was observed that, in the control group, the EEG asymmetry had no significant difference in these two assessment sessions for both positive and negative stimulations. However, in the exercise group, the difference of the EEG asymmetry before and after PE was significant only in response to negative stimulations. Further, the in-depth analysis of EEG asymmetry index changes of individual participants shows that the short-term moderate-intensity PE has a positive impact in response to negative stimulations. The proposed experiments show that the negative emotional experience can be reduced by the moderate-intensity PE and support the hypothesis that the moderate-intensity PE is good at improving emotional response to negative stimulations. This study provides the evidence of positive effects of PE in the domain of emotion regulation with experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is evidence for local use-dependent neuronal sleep modulation as a result of the lateralized pathological motor profile. • More bilateral motor symptoms and optimized treatment contribute to diminished sleep EEG asymmetry. • The association between symptomatic motor laterality and sleep neural asymmetry may provide targeted therapeutic insights. Unilateral manifestation of motor dysfunction is a prominent hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated how the motor laterality of the disorder affects sleep neural asymmetry before and after Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Twenty-seven PD patients of the akinetic-rigid subtype were studied; 11 with right dominant (RD) and 16 with left dominant (LD) motor symptoms. Neuronal sleep asymmetry was computed as the difference of sleep slow-wave energy (SWE) between left and right hemispheres. We used linear mixed models to assess the relationship between symptomatic profile and SWE asymmetry. LD PD patients exhibited frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry and motor laterality pre-DBS with increased SWE contralateral to their affected body side, which diminished post-DBS. The RD group did not exhibit neither neural asymmetry nor motor laterality pre- and post-DBS. There was a significant negative correlation between the motor laterality and sleep EEG asymmetry. Our results suggest evidence for a local use-dependent modulation of SWE as a result of the lateralized pathological motor profile. More bilateral motor symptoms and optimized treatment contribute to diminished sleep EEG asymmetry. These novel findings about the association between symptomatic motor laterality and sleep neural asymmetry may provide targeted therapeutic insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual differences in the expression of autism complicate research on the nature and treatment of this disorder. In the Modifier Model of Autism (Mundy et al. 2007), we proposed that individual differences in autism may result not only from syndrome specific causal processes, but also from variability in generic, non-syndrome specific modifier processes that affect the social and emotional development of all people. One study supporting this model found that measures of resting anterior EEG asymmetry, a measure reflecting complex brain processes associated with generic individual differences in approach and avoidance motivation, may help explain differences in the expression of autism in children without intellectual disabilities (Sutton et al. 2005). In the current study, we partially replicated the observation that children with autism who exhibited a pattern of left frontal EEG asymmetry tended to display milder levels of social symptoms, although in the current sample this pattern applied only to HFA children with relatively lower verbal IQs. New observations indicated that left frontal EEG asymmetry was also associated with retrospective parent reports of significantly later age of onset of symptoms, but also higher levels of self-reported outward expressions of anger as well as symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder in school-age higher functioning children with ASD. Therefore, the results of this study provide a new and fully independent set of observations, which indicate that individual differences in anterior EEG asymmetry may significantly moderate the expression and developmental course of autism. This observation may have clinical implications for identifying meaningful diagnostic sub-groups among children with autism.

Abstract Background Frontal EEG asymmetry is a widely studied correlate of emotion processing and psychopathology. Recent research suggests that frontal EEG asymmetry during resting state is related to approach/withdrawal motivation and is also found in affective disorders such as major depressive disorder. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show aberrant behavior in relation to both approach and withdrawal motivation, which may arguably be associated with their difficulties in emotion processing. The occurrence and significance of frontal EEG asymmetry in BPD, however, has received little attention. Results Thirty-seven BPD patients and 39 controls underwent resting EEG and completed several psychometric questionnaires. While there were no between-group differences in frontal EEG asymmetry, in BPD frontal EEG asymmetry scores correlated significantly with alexithymia. That is, higher alexithymia scores were associated with relatively lower right-frontal activity. A subsequent analysis corroborated the significant interaction between frontal EEG asymmetry and alexithymia, which was moderated by group. Conclusions Our findings reveal that lower right frontal EEG asymmetry is associated with alexithymia in patients with BPD. This finding is in accordance with neurophysiological models of alexithymia that implicate a right hemisphere impairment in emotion processing, and could suggest frontal EEG asymmetry as a potential biomarker of relevant psychopathology in these patients.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for depressive disorder, with outcomes approaching 45–55% response and 30–40% remission. Eligible predictors of treatment outcome, however, are still lacking. Few studies have investigated quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) parameters as predictors of rTMS treatment outcome and none of them have addressed the source localization techniques to predict the response to low-frequency rTMS (LF rTMS). We investigated electrophysiological differences based on scalp EEG data and inverse solution method, exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA), between responders and non-responders to LF rTMS in resting brain activity recorded prior to the treatment. Twenty-five unmedicated depressive patients (mean age of 45.7 years, 20 females) received a 4-week treatment of LF rTMS (1 Hz; 20 sessions per 600 pulses; 100% of the motor threshold) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Comparisons between responders (≥50% reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score) and non-responders were made at baseline for measures of eLORETA current density, spectral absolute power, and inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric EEG asymmetry. Responders were found to have lower current source densities in the alpha-2 and beta-1 frequency bands bilaterally (with predominance on the left side) in the inferior, medial, and middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus, anterior cingulate, and insula. The most pronounced difference was found in the left middle frontal gyrus for alpha-2 and beta-1 bands (p < 0.05). Using a spectral absolute power analysis, we found a negative correlation between the absolute power in beta and theta frequency bands on the left frontal electrode F7 and the change in depressive symptomatology. None of the selected asymmetries significantly differentiated responders from non-responders in any frequency band. Pre-treatment reduction of alpha-2 and beta-1 sources, but not QEEG asymmetry, was found in patients with major depressive disorder who responded to LF rTMS treatment. Prospective trials with larger groups of subjects are needed to further validate these findings.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for depressive disorder, with outcomes approaching 45–55% response and 30–40% remission. Eligible predictors of treatment outcome, however, are still lacking. Few studies have investigated quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) parameters as predictors of rTMS treatment outcome and none of them have addressed the source localization techniques to predict the response to low-frequency rTMS (LF rTMS). We investigated electrophysiological differences based on scalp EEG data and inverse solution method, exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA), between responders and non-responders to LF rTMS in resting brain activity recorded prior to the treatment. Twenty-five unmedicated depressive patients (mean age of 45.7 years, 20 females) received a 4-week treatment of LF rTMS (1 Hz; 20 sessions per 600 pulses; 100% of the motor threshold) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Comparisons between responders (≥50% reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score) and non-responders were made at baseline for measures of eLORETA current density, spectral absolute power, and inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric EEG asymmetry. Responders were found to have lower current source densities in the alpha-2 and beta-1 frequency bands bilaterally (with predominance on the left side) in the inferior, medial, and middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus, anterior cingulate, and insula. The most pronounced difference was found in the left middle frontal gyrus for alpha-2 and beta-1 bands (p < 0.05). Using a spectral absolute power analysis, we found a negative correlation between the absolute power in beta and theta frequency bands on the left frontal electrode F7 and the change in depressive symptomatology. None of the selected asymmetries significantly differentiated responders from non-responders in any frequency band. Pre-treatment reduction of alpha-2 and beta-1 sources, but not QEEG asymmetry, was found in patients with major depressive disorder who responded to LF rTMS treatment. Prospective trials with larger groups of subjects are needed to further validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difficulties in emotion regulation, particularly in using adaptive regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, are a commonly observed correlate of paranoia. While it has been suggested that poor implementation of cognitive reappraisal in dealing with aversive events precedes the onset of subclinical paranoid thinking, there is little empirical research on neural activation patterns during cognitive reappraisal efforts that might indicate vulnerability towards paranoid thinking. Prefrontal EEG alpha asymmetry changes were recorded while n = 57 participants were generating alternative appraisals of anger-eliciting events, and were linked to a behavioral measure of basic cognitive reappraisal capacity and self-reported paranoia proneness (assessed by personality facets of hostility and suspiciousness; Personality Inventory for DSM-5). Mediation analysis revealed that less left-lateralized activation at ventrolateral prefrontal sites during reappraisal efforts predicted a higher degree of paranoia proneness. This relationship was mediated through poorer cognitive reappraisal capacity. Matching previous evidence, findings suggest that inappropriate brain activation during reappraisal efforts impairs individuals' capacity to come up with effective alternative interpretations for anger-evoking situations, which may accentuate personality features related to increased paranoid thinking. The findings add to our understanding of neurally underpinned impairments in the capacity to generate cognitive reappraisals and their link to maladaptive personality and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Previous research indicated that more left-lateralized prefrontal activation during cognitive reappraisal efforts was linked to a greater capacity for generating reappraisals, which is a prerequisite for the effective implementation of cognitive reappraisal in everyday life. The present study examined whether the supposedly appropriate brain activation is relevant in terms of more distal outcomes, i.e., chronic stress perception.Design and Methods: Prefrontal EEG alpha asymmetry was recorded while female participants were generating reappraisals for stressful events and was correlated with their self-reported chronic stress levels in everyday life (n = 80).Results: Women showing less left-lateralized brain activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during cognitive reappraisal efforts reported experiencing more stress in their daily lives. This effect was independent of self-efficacy beliefs in managing negative emotions.Conclusion: These findings underline the practical relevance of individual differences in appropriate brain activation during emotion regulation efforts and the assumedly related basic capacity for the generation of cognitive reappraisals to the feeling of being stressed. Implications include the selection of interventions for the improvement of coping with stress in women in whom the capability for appropriate brain activation during reappraisal efforts may be impaired, e.g., due to depression or old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expressions of affect communicate social messages, which trigger approach and withdrawal/avoidance motivational tendencies in the observer. The present study investigated relationships between inter-individual differences in the motivational responses to other people’s affect expressions and DSM-5 personality trait domains. State-dependent, transient EEG alpha asymmetry responses provided indicators of the relative activation of withdrawal versus approach motivation in the respective social-emotional contexts. The Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) was used for the assessment of personality traits in a non-clinical sample. Individuals with higher levels of Antagonism showed relative activation of approach versus withdrawal motivation (as indicated by less relative right frontal activation) in response to confrontation with auditory expressions of angry aggression, whereas participants with higher levels of Detachment showed relative activation of withdrawal versus approach motivation (as indicated by greater relative right frontal activation) to the perception of other people’s desperate crying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetry in cortical activity was tested for short- and long-term stability during the first year of life. Infants ( N = 129) completed a total of four laboratory visits: two visits occurred about 1 week apart when infants were 6 months old, and two visits occurred about 1 week apart when infants were 12 months of age. At each laboratory visit, EEG readings were taken during five 1-min, neutral baselines as well as during a negative and a positive emotion-eliciting task. The stability of hemispheric asymmetry was assessed at midfrontal (F3/4, F7/8) and parietal (P3/4) electrode sites. Asymmetry in baseline and fear-eliciting episodes showed moderate short-term stability. Long-term stability was apparent when assessments were composited at 6 months and 12 months. Frontal asymmetry was greater than parietal asymmetry for baseline recordings. There was minimal evidence for stability in asymmetry during positive emotion tasks. Results are discussed with regard to the collection and interpretation of alpha asymmetry measures during infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging patients to use cognitive reappraisal constitutes the core of modern psychotherapeutic approaches. However, evidence for specific neural correlates of the capacity for cognitive reappraisal, which is a necessary prerequisite for the effective implementation of cognitive reappraisal in everyday life, has been sparse to date. In the present study, the capacity for cognitive reappraisal was studied in terms of the participants' inventiveness in generating alternative appraisals of anger-evoking events, and was correlated with frontal EEG alpha asymmetry recorded while the participants were generating reappraisals as well as during a common creative idea generation task. During cognitive reappraisal efforts, individuals higher on the capacity for generating cognitive reappraisals showed more left-lateralized activity in lateral prefrontal cortex, specifically in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex extending toward the frontal pole. This effect was observed independently from the activation during novel idea generation without emotional component, indicating that specific demands are implicated in the generation of reappraisals of emotional events. Taken together, the results indicate that individuals higher on the capacity for cognitive reappraisal are more capable or more prone to recruit appropriate brain regions when the situation demands coming up with alternative appraisals of stressful events. The findings may stimulate the development of more individually targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals' personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample ( n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant-reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding, PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual's emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunctional reward processing has long been considered an important feature of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, depression is a heterogeneous construct and the nature of this heterogeneity may contribute to some of the inconsistent empirical findings on reward dysfunction in MDD. The current study examined 1 source of heterogeneity, melancholic symptoms, and its association with reward processing. In individuals with MDD (N = 141) and MDD-free controls (N = 113), electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha asymmetry was measured during a behavioral reward task that probed reward anticipation. Melancholic depression was measured both categorically (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM] diagnosis) and dimensionally (Hamilton Endogenomorphy Scale [HES]). Results showed that a dimensional (and not categorical) definition of melancholia predicted reward processing, with higher melancholic symptoms predicting reduced reward anticipation. Importantly, the effects of melancholic symptoms on reduced reward anticipation remained above and beyond overall depression severity. These results suggest that dysfunctional reward processing may only be associated with melancholic symptoms, not depression in general. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years research on physiological response and brain reactivity in different patterns of infant and adult attachment has increased. We review research findings regarding associations between attachment classifications and reactivity of the prefrontal cortex, the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Studies indicate that insecure attachment is related to a heightened adrenocortical activity, heart rate and skin conductance in response to stress, which is consistent with the hypothesis that attachment insecurity leads to impaired emotion regulation. Research on frontal EEG asymmetry also shows a clear difference in the emotional arousal between the attachment groups evidenced by specific frontal asymmetry changes. Furthermore, we discuss neurophysiological evidence of attachment organization and present up-to-date findings of EEG-research with adults. Based on the overall patterns of results presented in this article we identify some major areas of interest and directions for future research.

In order to quantify the visual reactivity of EEC to opening the eyes, the topography of EEG power spectra in a sample of 72 healthy subjects aged from 7-15 years, was studied. The EEGs were recorder at 14 scalp sites under eyes closed (ECL) and eyes open (EOP). It has been established that the absolute powers in total and in alpha band were significant- ly higher in all derivations under ECL as compared with EOP condition. Except for the frontal derivations, absolute power in theta band under ECL condition was significantly higher than that under EOP condition. Changes in delta and beta powers were seldom significant. In beta 2 band no EEG blocking was noticed in anterior area. Opening the eyes significantly influenced the values of asymmetry index in alpha band and total power. In all frequency bands and under both conditions, the differences of powers between the hemi spheres were found mainly in the prefrontal and laterofrontal areas. The results showed that the visual blocking of EEG was mostly due to a higher degree of EEG desynchronization after opening the eyes.

Maternal negative affect in the early environment is believed to sensitize long-term coping capacities in children. Yet, little work has identified physiological systems associated with coping responses, which may serve as mechanisms for links between early maternal negativity and child outcomes. Using a longitudinal twin sample ( N = 89), we found that high levels of maternal negative affect during infancy were associated with dysregulation of diurnal cortisol and electroencephalograph (EEG) asymmetry, two physiological systems that may support active approach-oriented coping when children are 7 years old. Flattened slopes of diurnal cortisol were also associated with greater numbers of concurrent overanxious behaviors in children. A mediation analysis supported the role of dysregulated diurnal cortisol as a mediator of the link between maternal negative affect in the early environment and childhood risk for anxiety problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression has been described as a process of behavioural withdrawal from overwhelming aversive stressors, and which manifests itself in the diagnostic symptomatology for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The underlying neurobiological pathways to that behavioural withdrawal are suggested to include greater activation in the right vs the left frontal lobes, described as frontal EEG asymmetry. However, despite a previous meta-analysis that provided overall support for this EEG asymmetry hypothesis, inconsistencies and several methodological confounds exist. The current review examines the literature on this issue, identifies inconsistencies in findings and discusses several key research issues that require addressing for this field to move towards a defensible theoretical model of depression and EEG asymmetry. In particular, the position of EEG asymmetry in the brain, measurement of severity and symptoms profiles of depression, and the effects of gender are considered as potential avenues to more accurately define the specific nature of the depression-EEG asymmetry association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years research on physiological response and frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry in different patterns of infant and adult attachment has increased. We review research findings regarding associations between attachment classifications and frontal EEG asymmetry, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA). Studies indicate that insecure attachment is related to a heightened adrenocortical activity, heart rate and skin conductance in response to stress, which is consistent with the hypothesis that attachment insecurity leads to impaired emotion regulation. Research on frontal EEG asymmetry also shows a clear difference in the emotional arousal between the attachment groups evidenced by specific frontal asymmetry changes. Furthermore, we discuss neurophysiological evidence of attachment organization and present up-to-date findings of EEG-research with adults. Based on the overall patterns of results presented in this article we identify some major areas of interest and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and thirty-three 5-month-old infants and their mothers participated in a study designed to examine the influence of maternal sensitivity and infant neurophysiology, as well as interactions between these, on infants’ regulatory behavior and reactivity to emotional challenge. Maternal sensitivity was measured during two mother–child free-play episodes prior to the challenge task. Infant neurophysiology was derived from a measure of resting EEG asymmetry collected during a baseline episode. Infant regulatory behaviors (mother orienting and distraction) and reactivity to challenge (negative affect) were assessed during an arm restraint procedure. Maternal sensitivity predicted mother-orienting behavior for all infants, regardless of baseline EEG asymmetry. Maternal sensitivity also predicted more distraction behaviors for infants with left frontal EEG asymmetry at baseline. In contrast, maternal sensitivity predicted more negative affect for infants with right frontal EEG asymmetry at baseline. These findings lend support for the hypothesis that maternal sensitivity and infant neurophysiological functioning interact to predict regulatory behavior and reactivity and are discussed in terms of the significance for understanding infant regulatory development in the first year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Frontal EEG asymmetry patterns represent markers of individual differences in emotion reactivity and regulation, with right hemisphere activation linked with withdrawal behaviors/emotions (e.g., fear), and activation of the left hemisphere associated with approach (e.g., joy, anger). In the present study, gender was examined as a potential moderator of links between infant temperament at 5 months, and frontal EEG asymmetry patterns recorded during an Arm Restraint procedure at 10 months of age. Positive Affectivity/Surgency (PAS), Negative Emotionality (NE), and Orienting/Regulatory Capacity (ORC) were considered as predictors, with PAS emerging as significant for males; higher levels translating into greater right-frontal activation later in infancy. For females, ORC accounted for a significant portion of the frontal asymmetry scores, with higher ORC being associated with greater right-frontal activation. The moderating influence of gender noted in this study is discussed in the context of implications for discrepancies in rates/symptoms of psychopathology later in childhood. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1327-1340, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Negative affectivity (NA) is a broad construct that has been associated with the development of psychopathologies, such as anxiety, and with exaggerated attention to threatening stimuli. EEG asymmetry reflects biological individual differences in emotional reactivity that may underlie the association between NA and attention to threat. The present study included a sample of 31 five-seven year olds (M age in months=74.39, SD =6.57) to test the hypothesis that greater NA, combined with greater right anterior and posterior asymmetries, predicts increased attention interference following threat stimuli. Children completed an executive attention task which presented task-irrelevant threat (angry) and non-threat (neutral) faces prior to each trial. EEG asymmetry was measured at baseline for anterior, anterior-temporal and posterior scalp regions and child NA was measured via maternal report. As predicted, children showing greater NA and greater right anterior-temporal asymmetry showed more attention interference following angry faces. Additionally, two trend-level effects emerged: children showing greater NA and greater left anterior-temporal asymmetry showed less attention interference following angry faces, and children showing greater NA and greater left posterior asymmetry showed less attention interference, but only following neutral faces. Discussion focuses on the utility of using EEG asymmetry in the study of temperament, attentional biases, and the biological processes by which temperament confers risk for psychopathology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Event-related potentials (ERPs) and other electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence show that frontal brain areas of higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) children are recruited differently during selective attention tasks. We assessed whether multiple variables related to self-regulation (perceived mental effort) emotional states (e.g., anxiety, stress, etc.) and motivational states (e.g., boredom, engagement, etc.) may co-occur or interact with frontal attentional processing probed in two matched-samples of fourteen lower-SES and higher-SES adolescents. ERP and EEG activation were measured during a task probing selective attention to sequences of tones. Pre- and post-task salivary cortisol and self-reported emotional states were also measured. At similar performance level, the higher-SES group showed a greater ERP differentiation between attended (relevant) and unattended (irrelevant) tones than the lower-SES group. EEG power analysis revealed a cross-over interaction, specifically, lower-SES adolescents showed significantly higher theta power when ignoring rather than attending to tones, whereas, higher-SES adolescents showed the opposite pattern. Significant theta asymmetry differences were also found at midfrontal electrodes indicating left hypo-activity in lower-SES adolescents. The attended vs. unattended difference in right midfrontal theta increased with individual SES rank, and (independently from SES) with lower cortisol task reactivity and higher boredom. Results suggest lower-SES children used additional compensatory resources to monitor/control response inhibition to distracters, perceiving also more mental effort, as compared to higher-SES counterparts. Nevertheless, stress, boredom and other task-related perceived states were unrelated to SES. Ruling out presumed confounds, this study confirms the midfrontal mechanisms responsible for the SES effects on selective attention reported previously and here reflect genuine cognitive differences.