title: Neuronal correlates of maladaptive coping: an EEG-study in tinnitus patients.
abstract: Here we aimed to investigate the neuronal correlates of different coping styles in patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. Adaptive and maladaptive coping styles were determined in 85 tinnitus patients. Based on resting state EEG recordings, coping related differences in brain activity and connectivity were found. Maladaptive coping behavior was related to increases in subjective tinnitus loudness and distress, higher tinnitus severity and higher depression scores. EEG recordings demonstrated increased alpha activity over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) as well as increased connectivity in the default (i.e. resting state) network in tinnitus patients with a maladaptive coping style. Correlation analysis revealed that the changes in the DLPFC correlate primarily with maladaptive coping behavior, whereas the changes in the sgACC correlate with tinnitus severity and depression. Our findings are in line with previous research in the field of depression that during resting state a alpha band hyperconnectivity exists within the default network for patients who use a maladaptive coping style, with the sgACC as the dysfunctional node and that the strength of the connectivity is related to focusing on negative mood and catastrophizing about the consequences of tinnitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium ; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vanneste
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Joos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langguth
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Work and Welfare Studies, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wing Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: To
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand ; BRAI2N, Sint Augustinus Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Ridder
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D058443:Catastrophization; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*