Frontal Hemisphere Lateralization and Depressive Personality Traits

Abstract

To assess the relationship between hemispheric differences in information processing and interhemispheric asymmetries in terms of brain bioelectrical activity, we correlated scores on the MMPI Depression scale with interhemispheric asymmetry, measured as peak amplitude and latency of the P3 component of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) at the frontocortical region of 14 healthy unselected volunteers (8 men and 6 women) who were about to start a course in autogenic training. The sample was subdivided into two groups on the basis of the median score on the MMPI Depression scale. Subjects scoring above the median showed a right lateralization at the frontocentral region and a significantly shorter P3 latency at the right hemisphere compared to the left.

SPECT Scan in Somatization Disorder Patients: An Exploratory Study of Eleven Cases

“…These patients had a rare characteristic: at the moment when SPECT was carried out they did not fulfil criteria for any other DSM-IV axis I psychiatric disorder. This fact is important because, for instance, depression, the most common psychiatric disorder associated with SD, is known to alter SPECT images [8, 18] and to be related to cerebral asymmetry [24, 25]. A sample of ‘pure’ SD patients is a rare feature because nearly three-quarters of these patients are diagnosed with another psychiatric disorder [16].…”

Time, frequency and volumetric differences of high-frequency neuromagnetic oscillation between left and right somatosensory cortices

“…Despite these few number of investigations, the hemispherical asymmetries in the somatosensory cortex have been linked to various important and interesting cognitive functions. In fact, hemispheric asymmetries have been linked to usedependent plasticity in musicians (Schwenkreis et al, 2007), representations of limbs in patient's in recovery after stroke (Tecchio et al, 2007), unique electrical activity patterns during sleep poststimulation (Kattler et al, 1994), depressive personality traits (Biondi et al, 1993), and pain syndromes (Koekina et al, 1988). However, our knowledge of the underlying differences leading to the hemispheric asymmetry of the somatosensory system remains incomplete.…”