title: Spontaneous EEG activity and spontaneous emotion regulation.
abstract: Variability in both frontal and parietal spontaneous EEG activity, using α and β band power and θ/β and δ/β ratios, was explored in a sample of 96 healthy volunteers as a potential correlate of individual differences in spontaneous emotion regulation (SER). Following a baseline EEG recording, participants were asked to continuously rate their discomfort while looking at affective pictures, as well as for a period of time after exposure. Greater spontaneous β band power in parietal locations, lower frontal and parietal δ/β ratios, and lower parietal θ/β ratio were associated with lower ratings of discomfort after the offset of unpleasant pictures. Moreover, lower parietal δ/β ratio was also related to less time needed to recover from discomfort after exposure to aversive pictures, while only a greater frontal and parietal α band power appeared to be associated with faster recovery from discomfort induced by normative-neutral pictures. However, parietal δ/β ratio was the only predictor of both minimum discomfort ratings and time needed to downregulate following exposure to unpleasant pictures, and frontal α band power the only spontaneous EEG index that predicted variability in spontaneous down-regulation after the exposure to normative-neutral pictures. Results are discussed focusing on the utility of diverse spontaneous EEG measures in several cortical regions when capturing trait-like individual differences in emotion regulation capabilities and processes.
authors.affiliation: University Institute for Research on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, KGN, Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tortella-Feliu
authors.affiliation: University Institute for Research on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, KGN, Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: alfonsomorillas83@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morillas-Romero
authors.affiliation: University Institute for Research on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, KGN, Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balle
authors.affiliation: University Institute for Research on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, KGN, Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llabrés
authors.affiliation: University Institute for Research on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, KGN, Wassenaarseweg 52 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bornas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: PPutman@FSW.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Putman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion regulation; Resting EEG; Spontaneous emotion regulation; delta/beta ratio; theta/beta ratio