title: A neurophysiological signature of motivational incongruence: EEG changes related to insufficient goal satisfaction.
abstract: Human behavior and psychological functioning is motivated and guided by individual goals. Motivational incongruence refers to states of insufficient goal satisfaction and is tightly related to psychological problems and even psychopathology. In the present study, individual levels of motivational incongruence were assessed with the incongruence-questionnaire (INC) in a healthy sample. In addition, multi-channel resting-state EEG was measured. Individual variations of EEG synchronization and spectral power were related to individual levels of motivational incongruence. For significant correlations, the relation to intracerebral sources of electrical brain activity was investigated with sLORETA. The results indicate that, even in a healthy sample with rather low degrees of motivational incongruence, this insufficient goal satisfaction is related to consistent changes in resting state brain activity. Upper Alpha band attenuation seems to be most indicative of increased levels of motivational incongruence. This is reflected not only in significantly reduced functional connectivity, but also in changes regarding the level of brain activation, as indicated by significant effects in the spectral power and LORETA analyses. Results are related to research investigating the upper Alpha band and are discussed in the framework of Grawe's consistency theory.
authors: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Switzerland. stein@puk.unibe.ch
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Stein
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Egenolf
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Dierks
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Caspar
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Koenig
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D006040:Goals; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Alpha; EEG; LORETA; Mental health; Motivation; Resting state; Synchronization