Associations of alexithymia with anterior and posterior activation asymmetries during evoked emotions: EEG evidence of right hemisphere "electrocortical effort".
The objective of the study was to examine alexithymia influence on regional cortical activity in nonpatient individuals during evoked emotions. The 62-channels EEG was recorded in non-alexithymic (n = 27) and alexithymic (n = 17) participants viewing emotional film clips. Effects of alexithymia were found in the upper theta, low and upper alpha frequency bands; in all the bands the alexithymics exhibited greater reactivity of the right hemisphere, suggesting enhanced avoidance motivational tendencies, negative affect, and autonomic arousal. Such a right-hemispheric "electrocortical effort" in alexithymia could reflect difficulties in symbolization of emotion resulting from impaired right-hemispheric analogical and global nonverbal emotional representation.
Aftanas
Ljubomir
L
Psychophysiology Laboratory, State Research Institute of Physiology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia. aftanas@iph.ma.nsc.ru
Varlamov
Anton
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods