title: Neural correlates of posttraumatic growth after severe motor vehicle accidents.
abstract: Frontal brain asymmetry has been associated with emotion- and motivation-related constructs. The authors examined the relationship between frontal brain asymmetry and subjective perception of posttraumatic growth (PTG) after severe motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). Eighty-two survivors of MVAs completed self-report measures of PTG, trait and state affect, and diagnostic interviews assessing clinical status, and underwent measurement of resting electroencephalographic activity. As predicted, increased relative left frontal activation was significantly related to PTG, even when statistically controlling for dispositional positive affect. The authors assume that approach-related motivational tendencies associated with higher relative left frontal brain activity may be involved in the process and outcome of PTG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopsychology, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany. rabe@biopsych.tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Sirko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rabe
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zöllner
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maercker
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karl
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data