What happens when we get angry? Hormonal, cardiovascular and asymmetrical brain responses.
This study aimed to evaluate neuroendocrine and cardiovascular responses together with changes in brain asymmetry following an anger mood induction laboratory task. Previous research has shown an increase in heart rate and blood pressure when anger is experienced. Increased testosterone and decreased cortisol in response to anger and aggressive behavior have also been reported. With regard to asymmetrical frontal brain activity and emotion, the valence model links negative affect (as anger) to the right hemisphere while the motivational direction model links approach-related emotions (as anger) to the left hemisphere. From the subjective perception and from the neuroendocrine and cardiovascular response of the subjects, we can conclude that the self-referent statement anger induction method by Engebretson et al. (1999) was able to generate an experience of an anger affect in 30 healthy men. Another question was to analyze the consequences of that experience upon perceptual asymmetry when measured with a non-emotional laterality task. Regarding dichotic listening, an enhanced REA (right ear advantage) was observed after anger which indicates greater left hemisphere activity, supporting the motivational direction model.
Herrero
Neus
N
Unitat de Psiquiatria i Psicologia Mèdica, Facultat de Medicina, Departament Medicina, Universitat de València, CIBERSAM, València, Spain. neus.herrero@uv.es
Gadea
Marien
M
Rodríguez-Alarcón
Gabriel
G
Espert
Raúl
R
Salvador
Alicia
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins; D013739:Testosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone