Intra- and interindividual differences in lateralized cognitive performance and asymmetrical EEG activity in the frontal cortex

Papousek, Ilona; Murhammer, Daniela; Schulter, Günter

doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2010.11.013

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…For example, some individuals show strong left-hemispheric language lateralization, others strong-right-hemispheric language lateralization, and still others possess a more bilateral language representation (Knecht et al, 2000). Even within individuals lateralization changes as a function of, for example, sex hormones (Hausmann and Güntürkün, 2000; Bayer and Hausmann, 2009; Hjelmervik et al, 2012) or emotional states (Papousek et al, 2011, 2012). However, not much is known about how degree of lateralization and performance in selected functions are related, which we refer to as the “asymmetry-performance relationship”, and the few studies available provide incoherent results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How brain asymmetry relates to performance – a large-scale dichotic listening study

2014

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All major mental functions including language, spatial and emotional processing are lateralized but how strongly and to which hemisphere is subject to inter- and intraindividual variation. Relatively little, however, is known about how the degree and direction of lateralization affect how well the functions are carried out, i.e., how lateralization and task performance are related. The present study therefore examined the relationship between lateralization and performance in a dichotic listening task for which we had data available from 1839 participants. In this task, consonant-vowel syllables are presented simultaneously to the left and right ear, such that each ear receives a different syllable. When asked which of the two they heard best, participants typically report more syllables from the right ear, which is a marker of left-hemispheric speech dominance. We calculated the degree of lateralization (based on the difference between correct left and right ear reports) and correlated it with overall response accuracy (left plus right ear reports). In addition, we used reference models to control for statistical interdependency between left and right ear reports. The results revealed a u-shaped relationship between degree of lateralization and overall accuracy: the stronger the left or right ear advantage, the better the overall accuracy. This u-shaped asymmetry-performance relationship consistently emerged in males, females, right-/non-right-handers, and different age groups. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that performance on lateralized language functions depends on how strongly these functions are lateralized. The present study further stresses the importance of controlling for statistical interdependency when examining asymmetry-performance relationships in general.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How brain asymmetry relates to performance – a large-scale dichotic listening study

2014

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“…This asymmetry ratio is equivalent to another common metric (ln R – ln L ), with which it is virtually perfectly correlated (Davidson, 1988 ; Papousek & Schulter, 2002 ). However, LC allows easier comparison of data from different studies, different frequency bands, and locations (Pivik et al., 1993 ), and has been used in numerous EEG studies in relevant research contexts (e.g., Papousek et al., 2011 , 2014 ; Papousek, Reiser, et al., 2013 ; Papousek, Reiser, Weber, Freudenthaler, & Schulter, 2012 ; Papousek & Schulter, 2004 ; Papousek, Schulter, et al., 2013 ). Positive values of LC indicate relatively greater left than right hemisphere cortical activity (inverse of alpha).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These asymmetry changes, recorded in a respective context, index the individual’s capability to effectively process the specific demands and, consequently, may be indicative of traits related to psychological health and well-being (see also Allen & Reznik, 2015 ; Beeney, Levy, Gatzke-Kopp, & Hallquist, 2014 ; Cole, Zapp, Nelson, & Perez-Edgar, 2012 ; Goodman, Rietschel, Lo, Costanzo, & Hatfield, 2013 ; Liu, Sarapas, & Shankman, 2016 ; Papousek, Reiser, et al., 2013 , 2014 ; Pérez-Edgar, Kujawa, Nelson, Cole, & Zapp, 2013 ; Stewart, Coan, Towers, & Allen, 2014 ). More generally, several studies indicated functional deficits when brain circuits that are associated with these functions were inadequately activated, and that lateralized activation of specific relevant brain regions was linked to better performance on associated tasks (Davidson, Chapman, Chapman, & Henriques, 1990 ; Gur et al., 1994 , 2000 ; Gur & Reivich, 1980 ; Papousek, Murhammer, & Schulter, 2011 ; Papousek & Schulter, 2004 ; Wendt & Risberg, 1994 ). The capability model represents one of several important advancements of prefrontal brain asymmetry research that in part may be hampered by too simplistic approaches such as the reliance on resting data (see Miller, Crocker, Spielberg, Infantolino, & Heller, 2013 for a critical review).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reappraisal inventiveness: impact of appropriate brain activation during efforts to generate alternative appraisals on the perception of chronic stress in women

Perchtold

Fink

Rominger

et al. 2018

Anxiety, Stress, & Coping

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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.

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“…In EEG studies, this asymmetry ratio is equivalent to another common metric (lnR - lnL), with which it is virtually perfectly correlated (Davidson 1988; Papousek and Schulter 2002). However, LC allows easier comparison of data from different studies, different frequency bands, and locations (Pivik et al 1993), and has been used in numerous EEG studies in relevant research contexts (e.g., Papousek et al 2011, 2012, 2013a, b, 2014; Papousek and Schulter 2004). Following the common approach in EEG alpha asymmetry research, we interpret relatively lower alpha power in one hemisphere than the other as relatively greater cortical activity in this hemisphere (see, Allen et al 2004 for a review of evidence and Harmon-Jones 2006; Michels et al 2010; Scheeringa et al 2011 for recent experimental research supporting the assumption that EEG alpha band activity obtained in time frames of several seconds or minutes is inversely related to cortical activity).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors concluded that the absence of left-lateralized activation and the increased activation in right prefrontal cortex indicated an inappropriate or inefficient engagement of prefrontal regulatory circuitry, which may be linked to the difficulties of depressed patients to adequately cope with adverse events. More generally, several empirical studies indicated functional deficits, if a brain region on which these functions depend was inadequately activated, and that lateralized activation of specific relevant brain regions was associated with better performance on hemisphere specific cognitive tasks (Davidson et al 1990; Gur et al 1994, 2000; Gur and Reivich 1980; Papousek et al 2011; Papousek and Schulter 2004; Wendt and Risberg 1994). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The capacity for generating cognitive reappraisals is reflected in asymmetric activation of frontal brain regions

Papousek

Weiss

Perchtold

et al. 2016

Brain Imaging and Behavior

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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.

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Intra- and interindividual differences in lateralized cognitive performance and asymmetrical EEG activity in the frontal cortex

Cited by 14 publications

References 80 publications

How brain asymmetry relates to performance – a large-scale dichotic listening study

How brain asymmetry relates to performance – a large-scale dichotic listening study

Reappraisal inventiveness: impact of appropriate brain activation during efforts to generate alternative appraisals on the perception of chronic stress in women

The capacity for generating cognitive reappraisals is reflected in asymmetric activation of frontal brain regions

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