title: Putative EEG measures of social anxiety: Comparing frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta cross-frequency correlation.
abstract: The goal of the present study was to examine whether frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta cross-frequency correlation during resting state, anticipation, and recovery are electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of social anxiety. For the first time, we jointly examined frontal alpha asymmetry and delta-beta correlation during resting state and during a social performance task in high (HSA) versus low (LSA) socially anxious females. Participants performed a social performance task in which they first watched and evaluated a video of a peer, and then prepared their own speech. They believed that their speech would be videotaped and evaluated by a peer. We found that HSA participants showed significant negative delta-beta correlation as compared to LSA participants during both anticipation of and recovery from the stressful social situation. This negative delta-beta correlation might reflect increased activity in subcortical brain regions and decreased activity in cortical brain regions. As we hypothesized, no group differences in delta-beta correlation were found during the resting state. This could indicate that a certain level of stress is needed to find EEG measures of social anxiety. As for frontal alpha asymmetry, we did not find any group differences. The present frontal alpha asymmetry results are discussed in relation to the evident inconsistencies in the frontal alpha asymmetry literature. Together, our results suggest that delta-beta correlation is a putative EEG measure of social anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Developmental and educational psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. a.harrewijn.2@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harrewijn
authors.affiliation: Developmental and educational psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J W
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Van der Molen
authors.affiliation: Developmental and educational psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Westenberg
mesh_terms: D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001611:Beta Rhythm; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003700:Delta Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010379:Peer Group; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012146:Rest; D057566:Self Report; D012938:Social Perception; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alpha asymmetry; Biomarker; Delta–beta correlation; Social anxiety; Social-performance task