Issues in localization of brain function: The case of lateralized frontal cortex in cognition, emotion, and psychopathology

Abstract

The appeal of simple, sweeping portraits of large-scale brain mechanisms relevant to psychological phenomena competes with a rich, complex research base. As a prominent example, two views of frontal brain organization have emphasized dichotomous lateralization as a function of either emotional valence (positive/negative) or approach/avoidance motivation. Compelling findings support each. The literature has struggled to choose between them for three decades, without success. Both views are proving untenable as comprehensive models. Evidence of other frontal lateralizations, involving distinctions among dimensions of depression and anxiety, make a dichotomous view even more problematic. Recent evidence indicates that positive valence and approach motivation are associated with different areas in the left-hemisphere. Findings that appear contradictory at the level of frontal lobes as the units of analysis can be accommodated because hemodynamic and electromagnetic neuroimaging studies suggest considerable functional differentiation, in specialization and activation, of subregions of frontal cortex, including their connectivity to each other and to other regions. Such findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of functional localization that accommodates aspects of multiple theoretical perspectives.

Hemispheric lateralization of resting-state functional connectivity of the ventral striatum: an exploratory study

“…The results showed a predominant pattern of right- and left-hemispheric lateralization each for externally and internally directed processes. These results are to be considered with the hypothesis of prefrontal lateralization of cognitive and affective processing, where right- and left-hemispheric activities are often linked to pleasant stimuli/approach behavior and unpleasant stimuli/avoidance behavior (Miller et al 2013; Spielberg et al 2013). However, our data set do not contain behavioral measures and more research is needed to further explore this hypothesis.…”

The late positive potential: A neural marker of the regulation of emotion-based approach-avoidance actions?

“…Such studies therefore do not allow the examination of specific event-related brain activity associated with the preparatory phase of congruent and incongruent approachavoidance actions. Further, Miller et al, (2013) argued that we need to go beyond EEG activity related to broad brain areas and asymmetry, and search for specific neural markers of these crucial emotion driven behaviours.…”

Transforming valences through transitive inference: How are faces emotionally dissonant?

“…On balance, while identifying the neural substrates of these differing processes would be welcome, it is not necessary (cf. Miller, 2010;Miller, Crocker, Spielberg, Infantolino, & Heller, 2015;Staddon, 2014) for the purposes of experimental control.…”