The influence of frontal alpha‐asymmetry on the processing of approach‐ and withdrawal‐related stimuli—A multichannel psychophysiology study

Abstract

The approach-withdrawal model of hemispheric activation suggests that left frontal cortical areas mediate approach, while right frontal cortical areas mediate withdrawal motivation. Within this framework, the present study investigates the association of frontal cortical asymmetry with attentional and emotional responses toward approach- and withdrawal-related emotional stimuli. Resting frontal asymmetry was measured from 43 students before they passively viewed negative, neutral, and positive emotional pictures. The startle reflex, skin conductance response, and subjective ratings of valence and arousal were assessed to quantify emotional responding, while attention was assessed with ERPs. We also assessed frontal asymmetry in response to the pictures. Results indicated that relatively stronger right frontal cortical activation was associated with increased N1 amplitudes and more negative subjective emotional evaluation of all stimuli. Furthermore, enhanced right frontal asymmetry (state and trait) was associated with diminished emotional modulation of the late positive potential. In contrast, no association of frontal asymmetry with defensive reflex physiology or activation of sympathetic nervous system activity was found. The current data suggest dissociable influence of resting frontal brain asymmetry on attentional and physiological processing of withdrawal- and approach-related stimuli. That is, asymmetrical frontal cortical brain activation might not modulate approach-/withdrawal-related motor responses and sympathetic arousal directly, but instead enhances allocation of attentional resources to subjectively significant stimuli. The results are discussed in terms of their potential importance for emotion perception in anxiety disorders and their contribution to the understanding of frontal asymmetry.

Optimizing Electrode Montages of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Attentional Bias Modification in Early Abstinent Methamphetamine Users

“…The significant AB modification in the BBB-L condition is consistent with a study by Brunoni et al (2014) , who report a significant modification of negative AB in depression with anodal tDCS via a similar electrode montage. These results are in line with the frontal asymmetry hypothesis, which suggests that asymmetrical frontal cortical brain activation, in most cases shown for alpha frequency bands in the EEG, enhances allocation of attentional resources to subjectively significant stimuli ( Duecker and Sack, 2015 ; Adolph et al, 2017 ). In accordance, a rightward shift of frontal asymmetry is associated with a respective AB to salient cues in anxiety and depression ( Mathersul et al, 2008 ; Miskovic and Schmidt, 2010 ; Grimshaw et al, 2014 ).…”

EEG & Eye Tracking User Experiments for Spatial Memory Task on Maps

“…Greater relative left frontal activity is associated with increased memory & attentional performance and more-focused task performance [26]. FAA is the average hemispheric difference in EEG alpha power between the left and right frontal regions of the brain during EEG recording [27][28][29]. We computed the alpha asymmetry using the left (F3) and right (F4) frontal channels with the following formula [30] (Equation (1)):…”

EEG Resting Asymmetries and Frequency Oscillations in Approach/Avoidance Personality Traits: A Systematic Review

“…Measures of asymmetry and frequency oscillations recorded during hypnotic-state condition were excluded [16]. Furthermore, studies were excluded that (i) had considered resting-state EEG asymmetries or frequency oscillations as comparison measures to predict brain activity during a behavioral test [17][18][19]; (ii) report almost a self-report measure of approach/avoidance personality trait or parallel measures. This criterion excluded the studies that conceptualized EEG asymmetry as a latent state-latent trait in the absence of the self-report (e.g., [20]); (iii) involved healthy adult individuals.…”

“…However, recent research emphasizes that beta rhythm is related to sensorial and cognitive processes, such as alerting [153], working memory [154], decision making [155], and focused mental activity [156]. Specifically, slow beta activity (12-15 Hz) is associated with coordination [157], central beta activity (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22) is associated with mental active engagement [158], while high beta activity (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38) is associated with metacognition [159] and integration of new experiences and semantic memory [160]. Furthermore, recent EEG studies have introduced beta (13-30 Hz) oscillations as a cortical brain rhythm that may reflect active neural inhibition [161] and excitement or trait anxiety [56].…”