Resting lateralized activity predicts the cortical response and appraisal of emotions: an fNIRS study

Abstract

This study explored the effect of lateralized left-right resting brain activity on prefrontal cortical responsiveness to emotional cues and on the explicit appraisal (stimulus evaluation) of emotions based on their valence. Indeed subjective responses to different emotional stimuli should be predicted by brain resting activity and should be lateralized and valence-related (positive vs negative valence). A hemodynamic measure was considered (functional near-infrared spectroscopy). Indeed hemodynamic resting activity and brain response to emotional cues were registered when subjects (N = 19) viewed emotional positive vs negative stimuli (IAPS). Lateralized index response during resting state, LI (lateralized index) during emotional processing and self-assessment manikin rating were considered. Regression analysis showed the significant predictive effect of resting activity (more left or right lateralized) on both brain response and appraisal of emotional cues based on stimuli valence. Moreover, significant effects were found as a function of valence (more right response to negative stimuli; more left response to positive stimuli) during emotion processing. Therefore, resting state may be considered a predictive marker of the successive cortical responsiveness to emotions. The significance of resting condition for emotional behavior was discussed.

Conscious, Pre-Conscious and Unconscious Mechanisms in Emotional Behaviour. Some Applications to the Mindfulness Approach with Wearable Devices

“…Specifically, with regard to the development of an integrated sense of self and its representations in the future, mindfulness practice might have a positive effect on the activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is implicated in social perspective-taking, self-monitoring, emotional regulation, and coding of affective responses and emotionally-connoted information [54][55][56][57][58][59].…”

Intentionality in frontal asymmetry research

“…It is important to note that this does not provide a final conclusion about the possible empirical relation of frontal asymmetry and positive affect (for recent positive evidence, see Balconi, ; Balconi, Grippa, & Vanutelli, ; Balconi & Mazza, ; Gable & Harmon‐Jones, ; Schone, Schomberg, Gruber, & Quirin, ). Yet, findings that do show a relation of trait positive affect (PA) with relative greater left frontal activity or studies that show positive affective states leading to greater left frontal activity are likely due to the effect of the correlative empirical relation between approach motivation and PA.…”

Resting state and personality component (BIS/BAS) predict the brain activity (EEG and fNIRS measure) in response to emotional cues

“…Among the different modalities available for monitoring brain activity and in addition to the EEG measure, near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is noninvasive and particularly well‐suited for evaluating the PFC activity, which we showed to be among the regions involved in emotional processing (Balconi, Grippa, & Vanutelli, 2015a). Interestingly, recent studies by NIRS investigating the neural correlates of emotion regulation processes also described an activation of the PFC (Balconi, Grippa, & Vanutelli, 2015b; Herrmann et al., 2008; Yang et al., 2007). For the reasons reported above, in addition to EEG, NIRS is particularly indicated to explore the brain activity in both resting state and active response to emotional stimuli.…”