Motor cortex excitability correlates with an anxiety-related personality trait

Wassermann, Eric M.; Greenberg, Benjamin D.; Nguyen, Margaret B.; Murphy, Dennis L.

doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01210-0

Cited by 108 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…findings concur with the proposal that hemispheric asymmetries of neural excitability signify functional cerebral dominance [Triggs et al, 1994] and earlier studies that have successfully used TMS to establish relationships between cortical excitability and personality traits [Spitzer et al, 2004;Wassermann et al, 2001]. Previous EEG studies on frontal asymmetry provide extensive support for leftsided involvement in emotional approach and right-sided involvement in emotional avoidance [see Allen and Kline, 2004;Sutton and Davidson, 1997 for a review], yet this is to our knowledge the first study demonstrating a link between hemispheric asymmetries in cortical excitability and frontal asymmetry of emotion.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Interrelations between motivational stance, cortical excitability, and the frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry of emotion: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Schutter

Weijer

Meuwese

et al. 2007

Human Brain Mapping

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Several electrophysiological studies have provided evidence for the frontal asymmetry of emotion. In this model the motivation to approach is lateralized to the left, whereas the motivation to avoidance is lateralized to the right hemisphere. The aim of the present experiment was to seek evidence for this model by relating electrophysiological and phenomenological indices of frontal asymmetry to a direct measure of cortical excitability. Frontal asymmetrical resting states of the electroencephalogram and motivational tendencies indexed by the Carver and White questionnaire were compared with neural excitability of the left and right primary motor cortex as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation in 24 young healthy right-handed volunteers. In agreement with the model of frontal asymmetry, predominant left over right frontal cortical excitability was associated with enhanced emotional approach relative to emotional avoidance. Moreover, the asymmetries of brain excitability and approach-avoidance motivational predispositions were both reflected by frontal beta (13-30 Hz) electroencephalogram asymmetries. In conclusion, the currently demonstrated interconnections between cortical excitability, electrophysiological activity, and self-reported emotional tendencies for approach or avoidance support the frontal asymmetry of emotion model and provide novel insights into its biological underpinnings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Interrelations between motivational stance, cortical excitability, and the frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry of emotion: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Schutter

Weijer

Meuwese

et al. 2007

Human Brain Mapping

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We attempted to reduce the problem of acute nicotine administration to a minimum by performing the experiments within the second hour after smoking cessation, hence to the latest possible time point before relevant withdrawal symptoms would arise. Personality traits can influence TMS measures of motor cortical excitability, as has been shown ie in anxiety (Wassermann et al, 2001). However, the fact that chronic smokers in our study showed only low nicotine dependence reduces this weakness.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 41%

Cortical Hypoexcitability in Chronic Smokers? A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Lang

Hasan

Sueske

et al. 2007

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Studies in animal models and humans indicate that chronic nicotine intake influences neuronal excitability, resulting in functional and structural CNS changes. The aim of the present study was to explore human primary motor cortex (M1) excitability with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in chronic smokers. A total of 44 right-handed volunteers, aged 20-30 years, participated in the study. Chronic smokers were compared with age-and sex-matched healthy nonsmokers. We tested cortical excitability with single-and pairedpulse TMS to the left M1 and short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) by combining median nerve stimulation and motor cortex TMS. Compared with nonsmoking controls, chronic smokers showed a significantly larger amount of SAI, which is thought to depend upon the activity of cholinergic inhibitory circuits produced by somatosensory inputs. Moreover, TMS-evoked inhibitory cortical silent periods were prolonged, whereas paired-pulse intracortical facilitation and motor-evoked potentials during moderate contraction were reduced. The results suggest that chronic nicotine intake may not only strengthen cholinergic inhibitory circuits, but could also be associated with enhanced inhibitory and reduced facilitatory mechanism of specific neuronal circuits in motor cortex. These changes may form a physiological basis for neurobiological and behavioral variations associated with chronic smoking.

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“…The relation between trait-personal distress and motor facilitation may be linked to the evidence of a relation between anxiety-related personality traits and the excitability of intracortical facilitatory mechanisms in the primary motor cortex (Wassermann et al, 2001). …”

Section: Multiple Mechanisms Affecting Somatomotor Response To Othersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pain of a model in the personality of an onlooker: Influence of state-reactivity and personality traits on embodied empathy for pain

et al. 2009

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Motor cortex excitability correlates with an anxiety-related personality trait

Cited by 108 publications

References 27 publications

Interrelations between motivational stance, cortical excitability, and the frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry of emotion: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Interrelations between motivational stance, cortical excitability, and the frontal electroencephalogram asymmetry of emotion: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Cortical Hypoexcitability in Chronic Smokers? A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

The pain of a model in the personality of an onlooker: Influence of state-reactivity and personality traits on embodied empathy for pain

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