Manipulation of frontal EEG asymmetry through biofeedback alters self‐reported emotional responses and facial EMG

Abstract

Individual differences in resting asymmetrical frontal brain activity have been found to predict subsequent emotional responses. The question of whether frontal brain asymmetry can cause emotional responses has yet to be addressed. Biofeedback training designed to alter the asymmetry of frontal brain activity was therefore examined. Eighteen right-handed female participants were randomly assigned to receive biofeedback training designed to increase right frontal alpha relative to left frontal alpha~n ϭ 9! or to receive training in the opposite direction~n ϭ 9!. Five consecutive days of biofeedback training provided signals of reward or nonreward depending on whether the difference between right~F4! and left~F3! frontal alpha exceeded a criterion value in the specified direction. Systematic alterations of frontal EEG asymmetry were observed as a function of biofeedback training. Moreover, subsequent self-reported affect and facial muscle activity in response to emotionally evocative film clips were influenced by the direction of biofeedback training.Descriptors: Frontal EEG asymmetry, Biofeedback, Emotion, Approach-withdrawal model Asymmetrical activation of the anterior cortical regions appears to influence emotional responding, with left hemisphere activity relating to approach-related emotional responses and right hemisphere activity relating to withdrawal-related emotional responses. This observation is based on studies that have examined relationships between individual difference measures and resting cortical electroencephalographic~EEG! activity-particularly in the alpha frequency band, which is inversely associated with cortical activation. To illustrate, less right than left frontal alpha~i.e. increased relative right activity! is seen in depression and those with a history of depression~Allen, Iacono, Depue, & Arbisi, 1993;Gotlib, Ranganath, & Rosenfeld, 1998; Davidson, 1990, 1991!, and Davidson, 1993Davidson, , 1998 HarmonJones & Allen, 1997;Sutton & Davidson, 1997!, and that the asymmetry-depending on its magnitude and direction-taps a propensity to respond to emotionally evocative events with predictable emotional responses.Although the neurophysiological underpinnings of this model remain to be fully elucidated, individual differences in and alterations of asymmetrical frontal brain activity are likely to be functional, and not the result of underlying structural differences Davidson, 1998!. Several authors~e.g. Davidson, 1998 HarmonJones & Allen, 1997, 1998Sutton & Davidson, 1997;Wiedemann et al., 1999! have suggested that these frontal asymmetries tap not positive or negative affect per se, but a broader motivational tendency towards approach-related or withdrawal-related behaviors and emotions. In this view, depression and sad states represent a reduction in the left-frontally mediated propensity to approach and engage with the environment, and panic and fear represent a

Virtual faces expressing emotions: an initial concomitant and construct validity study

“…They suggest that avatars could eventually serve alternative clinical approaches such as virtual reality immersion and HCI Birbaumer et al, 2009; Renaud et al, 2010). It could be hypothesized, for instance, that better detection of other’s facial expressions would be achieved through biofeedback based on facial EMG and avatars reacting with corresponding expressions (Allen et al, 2001; Bornemann et al, 2012). …”

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Mind-Body Medicine: Development of an Integrative Framework for Psychophysiological Research

“…Many studies have reported shifts in frontal hemispheric EEG dominance during meditation, hypnosis, and imagery, although the specific regional patterns of EEG activation depend upon the particular components of the therapeutic intervention (49, 130–134). Relative decreases in right-sided PFC activation were also found among patients with major depression following treatment with interpersonal psychotherapy (135), sessions of psychotherapy (136), and with neurofeedback (brainwave biofeedback) (137). Finally, studies by Jones and colleagues (138, 139) have demonstrated functional alterations in frontal EEG hemispheric asymmetry following massage therapy.…”

Deconstructing the “Resting” State: Exploring the Temporal Dynamics of Frontal Alpha Asymmetry as an Endophenotype for Depression

“…Although resting frontal brain asymmetry shows high internal consistency (Towers and Allen, 2009) and reasonable stability over time (Hagemann et al, 2002; Allen et al, 2004b), there exists considerable variability within the resting assessment period, with non-depressed individuals demonstrating relatively greater left frontal activity approximately 70% of the time, and relatively greater right activity the remainder (Baehr et al, 1998; Allen et al, 2001). Such findings suggest that there may indeed be meaningful variability within the resting assessment period that deserves greater scrutiny, and that the assumption that resting EEG asymmetry is a trait may need to be reframed to reflect a recurring series of states within the resting period.…”