BIS/BAS, cortical oscillations and coherence in response to emotional cues

Neural correlates of approach-avoidance behavior in healthy subjects: Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is implicated in top-down regulation of emotion, but the detailed network mechanisms require further elucidation. To investigate network-level functions of the dlPFC in emotion regulation, this study measured changes in task-based activation, resting-state and task-based functional connectivity (FC) patterns following suppression of dlPFC excitability by 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). In a sham-controlled within-subject design, 1-Hz active or sham rTMS was applied to the right dlPFC of 19 healthy volunteers during two separate counterbalanced sessions. Following active and sham rTMS, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted in the resting state (rs-fMRI) and during approach-avoidance task responses to pictures with positive and negative emotional content (task-based fMRI). Activation and generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses were performed on task-based fMRI, and seed-based FC analysis was applied to rs-fMRI data. Task-based fMRI revealed greater and more lateralized activation in the right hemisphere during negative picture responses compared to positive picture responses. After active rTMS, greater activation was observed in the left middle prefrontal cortex compared to sham rTMS. Further, rTMS reduced response times and error rates in approach to positive pictures compared to negative pictures. Significant FC changes due to rTMS were observed predominantly in the frontoparietal network (FPN) and visual network (VN) during the task, and in the default mode network (DMN) and VN at rest. Suppression of right dlPFC activity by 1-Hz rTMS alters large-scale neural networks and modulates emotion, supporting potential applications for the treatment of mood disorders.

EEG Correlates of Moral Decision-Making: Effect of Choices and Offers Types

BACKGROUND

Moral decision-making consists of a complex process requiring individuals to evaluate potential consequences of personal and social decisions, including applied organizational contexts.

METHODS

This research aims to investigate the behavioral (offer responses and reaction times, RTs) and electrophysiological (EEG) correlates underlying moral decision-making during three different choice conditions (professional fit, company fit, and social fit) and offers (fair, unfair, and neutral).

RESULTS

An increase of delta and theta frontal activity (related to emotional behavior and processes) and beta frontal and central activity (linked to cognitive and attentional processes) was found. A left beta, delta, and theta frontal activity was observed for fair offers in professional fit conditions, while increased right frontal delta and theta activity was found in response to unfair offers in company fit conditions. Also, an increase of left delta and theta parietal activity for unfair offers in social fit condition was detected. Finally, higher accepted responses were found for fair and neutral offers in professional and social fit conditions, with increased RTs for unfair offers suggesting decisions' cognitive load and complexity.

CONCLUSIONS

By revealing a greater involvement of left and right frontal areas in decision-making processes based on choices and offers, personal interest evaluations and emotional values, and of parietal areas in more prosocial and altruistic moral behavior, current findings provide information about the neural and behavioral correlates underlying company moral behavior.

Binocularly suppressed stimuli induce brain activities related to aesthetic emotions

Introduction

Aesthetic emotions are a class of emotions aroused by evaluating aesthetically appealing objects or events. While evolutionary aesthetics suggests the adaptive roles of these emotions, empirical assessments are lacking. Previous neuroscientific studies have demonstrated that visual stimuli carrying evolutionarily important information induce neural responses even when presented non-consciously. To examine the evolutionary importance of aesthetic emotions, we conducted a neuroscientific study using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure induced neural responses to non-consciously presented portrait paintings categorised as biological and non-biological and examined associations between the induced responses and aesthetic ratings.

Methods

MEG and pre-rating data were collected from 23 participants. The pre-rating included visual analogue scales for object saliency, facial saliency, liking, and beauty scores, in addition to 'biologi-ness,' which was used for subcategorising stimuli into biological and non-biological. The stimuli were presented non-consciously using a continuous flash suppression paradigm or consciously using binocular presentation without flashing masks, while dichotomic behavioural responses were obtained (beauty or non-beauty). Time-frequency decomposed MEG data were used for correlation analysis with pre-rating scores for each category.

Results

Behavioural data revealed that saliency scores of non-consciously presented stimuli influenced dichotomic responses (beauty or non-beauty). MEG data showed that non-consciously presented portrait paintings induced spatiotemporally distributed low-frequency brain activities associated with aesthetic ratings, which were distinct between the biological and non-biological categories and conscious and non-conscious conditions.

Conclusion

Aesthetic emotion holds evolutionary significance for humans. Neural pathways are sensitive to visual images that arouse aesthetic emotion in distinct ways for biological and non-biological categories, which are further influenced by consciousness. These differences likely reflect the diversity in mechanisms of aesthetic processing, such as processing fluency, active elaboration, and predictive processing. The aesthetic processing of non-conscious stimuli appears to be characterised by fluency-driven affective processing, while top-down regulatory processes are suppressed. This study provides the first empirical evidence supporting the evolutionary significance of aesthetic processing.

The neural correlates of reinforcement sensitivity theory: A systematic review of the frontal asymmetry and spectral power literature

The original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (oRST) proposes two systems of approach (BAS) and avoidance (BIS) motivation to underpin personality and behavior. The revised-RST (rRST) model separates avoidance motivation into passive (BIS; anxiety) and active (FFFS; fear) systems. Prior research has attempted to map RST onto lateralized frontal asymmetry to provide a neurophysiological marker of RST. The main aim is to examine the relationships of the o/rRST scales with trait (baseline) and state (manipulated through experimental paradigms) frontal asymmetry. A systematic review was conducted, resulting in 158 studies designated to neuroimaging research. In total, 54 studies were included in this review using either frontal asymmetry or spectral power. The results were split into three main categories: resting frontal alpha asymmetry (N = 23), emotional induction and state-related frontal alpha asymmetry (N = 20), and spectral analysis (N = 16). Findings indicated that BAS was associated with enhanced left frontal asymmetry at baseline and during state-related paradigms. Findings for BIS were more inconsistent, especially at rest, suggesting that BIS, in particular, may require active engagement with the environment. Only 9 of the 54 papers included used the revised RST model, highlighting the need for more rRST research.

Alpha-band oscillations and emotion: A review of studies on picture perception

Although alpha-band activity has long been a focus of psychophysiological research, its modulation by emotional value during picture perception has only recently been studied systematically. Here, we review these studies and report that the most consistent alpha oscillatory pattern indexing emotional processing is an enhanced desynchronization (ERD) over posterior sensors when viewing emotional compared with neutral pictures. This enhanced alpha ERD is not specific to unpleasant picture content, as previously proposed for other measures of affective response, but has also been observed for pleasant stimuli. Evidence suggests that this effect is not confined to the alpha band but that it also involves a desynchronization of the lower beta frequencies (8-20 Hz). The emotional modulation of alpha ERD occurs even after massive stimulus repetition and when emotional cues serve as task-irrelevant distractors, consistent with the hypothesis that evaluative processes are mandatory in emotional picture processing. A similar enhanced ERD has been observed for other significant cues (e.g., conditioned aversive stimuli, or in anticipation of a potential threat), suggesting that it reflects cortical excitability associated with the engagement of the motivational systems.

Age differences in interbrain synchronization during peer cooperation: an EEG hyperscanning study

Healthy peer relationships could provide emotional and social support for adolescents experiencing dramatic physical and environmental changes. Examining age differences in cognitive neural processing during peer interaction provides insight into adolescent interpersonal contact and "social brain" development. The present study compared the age differences between adolescents and adults by examining the behavior and interbrain synchronization of pairs in a cooperative computer game task. 32 pairs of adolescents and 31 pairs of adults were recruited as participants. The reaction times and interbrain synchronization of the participants were measured. The results revealed that interbrain synchronization activation following the onset of the "ready signal" was primarily detected in low-frequency bands such as delta and theta. Adolescent pairs' interbrain synchronization activations were significantly higher than those of adult pairs in the anterior and central brain regions, such as the frontal, frontal-central, and parietal lobes. Correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between occipital region interbrain synchronization and behavioral performance. The findings provide behavioral and neurophysiological evidence for the characteristics of adolescent interpersonal cognitive processing and point to the significance of low-frequency interbrain synchronization in interpersonal coordination.

Hyperscanning EEG Paradigm Applied to Remote vs. Face-To-Face Learning in Managerial Contexts: Which Is Better?

We propose a hyperscanning research design, where electroencephalographic (EEG) data were collected on an instructor and teams of learners. We compared neurophysiological measures within the frequency domain (delta, theta, alpha, and beta EEG bands) in the two conditions: face-to-face and remote settings. Data collection was carried out using wearable EEG systems. Conversational analysis was previously applied to detect comparable EEG time blocks and semantic topics. The digitalization of training can be considered a challenge but also a chance for organizations. However, if not carefully addressed, it might constitute a criticality. Limited research explored how remote, as opposed to face-to-face, training affects cognitive, (such as memory and attention), affective, and social processes in workgroups. Data showed an alpha desynchronization and, conversely, a theta and beta synchronization for the face-to-face condition. Moreover, trainees showed different patterns for beta power depending on the setting condition, with significantly increased power spectral density (PSD) in the face-to-face condition. These results highlight the relevance of neurophysiological measures in testing the e-learning process, in relation to the emotional engagement, memory encoding, and attentional processing.

Event-related EEG oscillatory responses elicited by dynamic facial expression

BACKGROUND

Recognition of facial expressions (FEs) plays a crucial role in social interactions. Most studies on FE recognition use static (image) stimuli, even though real-life FEs are dynamic. FE processing is complex and multifaceted, and its neural correlates remain unclear. Transitioning from static to dynamic FE stimuli might help disentangle the neural oscillatory mechanisms underlying face processing and recognition of emotion expression. To our knowledge, we here present the first time-frequency exploration of oscillatory brain mechanisms underlying the processing of dynamic FEs.

RESULTS

Videos of joyful, fearful, and neutral dynamic facial expressions were presented to 18 included healthy young adults. We analyzed event-related activity in electroencephalography (EEG) data, focusing on the delta, theta, and alpha-band oscillations. Since the videos involved a transition from neutral to emotional expressions (onset around 500 ms), we identified time windows that might correspond to face perception initially (time window 1; first TW), and emotion expression recognition subsequently (around 1000 ms; second TW). First TW showed increased power and phase-locking values for all frequency bands. In the first TW, power and phase-locking values were higher in the delta and theta bands for emotional FEs as compared to neutral FEs, thus potentially serving as a marker for emotion recognition in dynamic face processing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our time-frequency exploration revealed consistent oscillatory responses to complex, dynamic, ecologically meaningful FE stimuli. We conclude that while dynamic FE processing involves complex network dynamics, dynamic FEs were successfully used to reveal temporally separate oscillation responses related to face processing and subsequently emotion expression recognition.

One's Interoception Affects the Representation of Seeing Others' Pain: A Randomized Controlled qEEG Study

Objective

This research demonstrates that interoceptive attentiveness (IA) can modulate cortical oscillations related to the emotional and cognitive representations of observing pain in others.

Methods

Twenty participants were required to observe painful/nonpainful stimuli in an individual versus the interactive condition during the recording of the electroencephalogram. The sample was divided into experimental (EXP) and control (CTR) groups, and the EXP group was explicitly required to direct the attention on its interoceptive correlates while observing the stimuli.

Results

Mixed repeated measures, analyses of variance, were applied to each EEG frequency band. Significant findings were obtained mainly for theta and beta bands for the two groups. A hemispheric lateralisation effect was found, with right lateralisation of the theta band for the EXP group when observing painful stimuli and enhanced left activation of theta and beta bands for the CTR group when observing nonpainful stimuli. For both groups, frontal cortical regions were significantly sensitive to social scenarios, while posterior parietal activation was found for stimuli depicting the individual condition.

Conclusions

The results suggest that IA might enhance the emotional representation of painful stimuli, highlighting their negative and unpleasant features in the EXP group, while the attention of the CTR group was mainly drawn to nonpainful stimuli in social and individual conditions, with a positive valence. The role of frontal regions in the processing of social stimuli through social cognition, inducing emotional mirroring and requiring deeper analysis of the social context, was underlined. We propose that IA could be trained for promoting emotion regulation and empathic response.

Functional neuroanatomy and neural oscillations during social eavesdropping in male golden hamsters

Social eavesdropping is a low-cost learning mechanism by which individuals extract relevant social information from social interactions between conspecifics, thereby gaining subsequent advantages in information gathering and usage. The aim of this study was to take advantage of a new hamster model of social eavesdropping to investigate behavioral consequences and neural activity in male hamsters during social eavesdropping. Bystander hamsters with a defeat experience were exposed to either a fighting interaction, a neutral encounter, or control conditions for 3 days of social eavesdropping. In Experiment 1, bystanders in the fight and neutral groups displayed more information gathering behaviors and less nonsocial behavior than control hamsters. The fight group displayed significant increases in c-Fos-positive neurons in the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC) and the piriform cortex. A slight but not significant group difference was found in their serum cortisol levels. In vivo local field potential oscillation recordings in Experiment 2 revealed that bystanders in the fight group had more delta oscillations in the aMCC during information gathering across 3-day social eavesdropping than those in the other 2 groups. Experiment 3 confirmed that 20 min of social eavesdropping on Day 1 was sufficient to evoke differential behavioral outcomes, and the behavioral responses became more prominent after 3 days of social eavesdropping. Collectively, our study confirmed that male golden hamsters are capable of social eavesdropping and indicated the involvement of aMCC delta oscillations in social eavesdropping.

EEG Frontal Asymmetry and Theta Power in Unipolar and Bipolar Depression

BACKGROUND

Distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar depression is of high clinical relevance. However, there is sparse research directly comparing these groups in terms of EEG activity.

METHOD

We investigated 87 participants' left and right EEG frontal alpha-1, alpha-2, and theta activity related to happy and sad face stimuli in unipolar (UD, n=33) and bipolar (BD, n=22) depressed participants, and controls without depression (HC, n=32).

RESULTS

Post-hoc analysis of an observed hemisphere x group interaction (p< .037) showed significant differences in alpha-1 asymmetry only for the comparison of UD and HC (p< .006). Further analysis of a significant emotion x group interaction (p= .001) revealed a differential impact of stimulus valence on theta power between the groups (p< .001). The valence dependent theta power of the BD differed from that of the UD (p< .0002) and the HC (p< .004). Alpha-1 asymmetry classified HC and both depressed groups with an accuracy of .69. Valence-related theta classified BD from UD with an accuracy of .83. Leave-one-out cross validation resulted in slightly reduced accuracy.

LIMITATIONS

Important limitations were the small sample size and that subjects were not medication-free.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate the value of simple, task related EEG activity for differentiating not only healthy individuals from those with depression, but also individuals with unipolar depression from those with bipolar depression.

Does aesthetic judgment on face attractiveness affect neural correlates of empathy for pain? A fNIRS study

Empathy for pain is at the basis of altruistic behaviors and is known to be modulated by variables such as group membership, pleasantness or unpleasantness of situations and social relationships. Also, face attractiveness and aesthetic judgment might play a role when observing a person in painful conditions, by increasing individuals' empathic responsiveness. Indeed, physical attractiveness can modify both the perception of the face itself and its reception in a social context. In the present study, we aimed to assess cortical activity when attention is focused on the aesthetic features of an individual showing painful feelings. Brain activity (optical imaging: functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS), considered in its hemodynamic components (oxygenated [oxy-Hb] and deoxygenated hemoglobin [deoxy-Hb]) was monitored when 22 subjects (M_age = 24.9; SD = 3.6) observed faces (attractive; unattractive) that received painful stimulations (pain; no pain) and were asked to judge the attractiveness and pain condition of the face. Specifically, we targeted the left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), sensory cortex, and temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Analyses revealed significant lower oxy-Hb levels in left IFG compared to right hemispheric channels when asking participants to rate faces attractiveness independently from the stimulus features. Besides, lower levels of deoxy-Hb were detected in the right TPJ for unattractive faces compared to attractive faces. Overall, present findings highlighted that the formulation of an aesthetic judgment and face attractiveness plays a relevant role in empathic concerns and this seems to be able to overlay painful appraisal.

Imagery-induced negative affect, social touch and frontal EEG power band activity

Social touch seems to modulate emotions, but its brain correlates are poorly understood. Here, we investigated if frontal power band activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG) during aversive mental imagery is modulated by social touch from one's romantic partner and a stranger. We observed the highest theta and beta power when imaging alone, next so when being touched by a stranger, with lowest theta and beta activity during holding hands with the loved one. Delta power was higher when being alone than with a stranger or a partner, with no difference between the two. Gamma power was highest during the stranger condition and lower both when being alone and with the partner, while alpha power did not change as a function of social touch. Theta power displayed a positive correlation with electrodermal activity supporting its relation to emotional arousal. Attachment style modulated the effect of touch on the EEG as only secure but not insecure partner bonding was associated with theta power reductions. Because theta power was sensitive to the experimental perturbations, mapped onto peripheral physiological arousal and reflected partner attachment style we suggest that frontal theta power might serve as an EEG derived bio-marker for social touch in emotionally significant dyads.

The Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Cortical Emotion Processing in Different Brain Frequencies as Assessed Using the Cluster-Based Permutation Test: An MEG Study

The processing of emotions in the human brain is an extremely complex process that extends across a large number of brain areas and various temporal processing steps. In the case of magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, various frequency bands also contribute differently. Therefore, in most studies, the analysis of emotional processing has to be limited to specific sub-aspects. Here, we demonstrated that these problems can be overcome by using a nonparametric statistical test called the cluster-based permutation test (CBPT). To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to apply the CBPT to MEG data of brain responses to emotional stimuli. For this purpose, different emotionally impacting (pleasant and unpleasant) and neutral pictures were presented to 17 healthy subjects. The CBPT was applied to the power spectra of five brain frequencies, comparing responses to emotional versus neutral stimuli over entire MEG channels and time intervals within 1500 ms post-stimulus. Our results showed significant clusters in different frequency bands, and agreed well with many previous emotion studies. However, the use of the CBPT allowed us to easily include large numbers of MEG channels, wide frequency, and long time-ranges in one study, which is a more reliable alternative to other studies that consider only specific sub-aspects.

Cortical Asymmetries and Connectivity Patterns in the Valence Dimension of the Emotional Brain

Understanding the neurophysiology of emotions, the neuronal structures involved in processing emotional information and the circuits by which they act, is key to designing applications in the field of affective neuroscience, to advance both new treatments and applications of brain-computer interactions. However, efforts have focused on developing computational models capable of emotion classification instead of on studying the neural substrates involved in the emotional process. In this context, we have carried out a study of cortical asymmetries and functional cortical connectivity based on the electroencephalographic signal of 24 subjects stimulated with videos of positive and negative emotional content to bring some light to the neurobiology behind emotional processes. Our results show opposite interhemispheric asymmetry patterns throughout the cortex for both emotional categories and specific connectivity patterns regarding each of the studied emotional categories. However, in general, the same key areas, such as the right hemisphere and more anterior cortical regions, presented higher levels of activity during the processing of both valence emotional categories. These results suggest a common neural pathway for processing positive and negative emotions, but with different activation patterns. These preliminary results are encouraging for elucidating the neuronal circuits of the emotional valence dimension.

Neurophysiological Correlates of User Experience in Smart Home Systems (SHSs): First Evidence From Electroencephalography and Autonomic Measures

Home automation brings together technology, engineering, and user experience (UX). Within this framework, even neuroscience could be a valuable discipline to explore UX. For the first time, in the present work, some distinguishing effects of domotics on users' cognitive and emotional behavior are highlighted by using the neuroscientific approach. In order to define possible effects of a smart home system (SHS) on UX, a neuroscientific multimethodology was adopted with the purpose of recording and confronting the neural activity (electroencephalography, EEG) and autonomic system responses of 19 individuals during a resting state (RS) baseline and the exploration of five different tech-interaction areas in a domotic environment. EEG findings showed a generalized neural activation reflected by alpha band activity while participants were exploring the tech areas confronted with the RS. The delta band was mainly present in temporo-central compared to frontal and parieto-occipital areas and was interpreted as a higher emotional activation related to the whole UX. This effect was found for the sixth tech-interaction area (i.e., bedroom) compared to the RS, and it is supposed to represent an enhanced emotional response and integration processing toward a higher multisensory interactive area. Regarding autonomic activity, an increase in heart rate (HR) was found for the bedroom area compared to the RS, thus showing a specific effect on physiological indices in this engaging tech area. The present research constitutes the first attempt to understand the user responsiveness to SHS, in terms of cognitive and emotional engagement, by adopting a neuroscientific perspective. Some high-value benefits derived from this approach will be described in light of the neurophysiological results.

Leader-employee emotional "interpersonal tuning".An EEG coherence study

Empirical management research has focused more on the investigation of important interpersonal factors that could be beneficial for a company's well-being, including emotional and empathic engagement between managers and employees. The capacity to understand and mirror others' feelings could result in a mutual adaptation that generates interpersonal tuning (IT). In the present study, we measured IT by applying a hyperscanning approach with simultaneous recording of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from two participants interacting together. Eleven leaders and 11 employees were recruited and asked to role-play an employee performance review with a rating (R) or no rating (NR) condition. In the NR condition leaders describe by words the employee's proficiency, while in R they provided a quantitative rating. The NR condition emerged as a more engaging situation in terms of empathic responses and mirroring. This difference was detectable from the localization of neurophysiological effects over the frontopolar and frontal brain areas, and the higher synchronization of EEG delta frequency coherence. Behavioral results also revealed an increase of self-perceived emotional tuning, agreement on content, and interpersonal cooperation in the NR condition compared to R condition. These effects were present in both leaders and employees and have several implications for social and company well-being.

Changes in latency of brain rhythms in response to affective information of visual stimuli

It is widely known that emotionally-arousing pictures are perceived more rapidly than non-arousing pictures, although neural underpinnings of this effect remain unclear. Using electroencephalography, we presently measured neural oscillatory rhythms of the human brain in response to various emotional images from the International Affective Picture System. We found that an oscillation frequency in the alpha-to-beta band (8-30 Hz) became higher over the parietal cortex when participants viewed emotionally-arousing than non-arousing pictures. This modulation of neural rhythms was also observed in a valence dimension; emotionally-negative pictures induced faster neural rhythm than emotionally-positive pictures. Those results were consistent with previous studies reporting a speeded perception of high-arousing and negative stimuli (e.g. snakes and spiders) and further provided neural evidence for an adaptive function of emotion to accelerate the processing of potentially-dangerous stimuli.

Negative emotional state slows down movement speed: behavioral and neural evidence

BACKGROUND

Athletic performance is affected by emotional state. Athletes may underperform in competition due to poor emotion regulation. Movement speed plays an important role in many competition events. Flexible control of movement speed is critical for effective athletic performance. Although behavioral evidence showed that negative emotion can influence movement speed, the nature of the relationship remains controversial. Thus, the present study investigated how negative emotion affects movement speed and the neural mechanism underlying the interaction between emotion processing and movement control.

METHODS

The present study combined electroencephalography (EEG) technology with a cued-action task to investigate the effect of negative emotion on movement speed. In total, 21 undergraduate students were recruited for this study. Participants were asked to perform six consecutive action tasks after viewing an emotional picture. Pictures were presented in two blocks (one negative and one neutral). After the participants completed a set of tasks (neutral of negative), they were subjected to complete a 9-point self-assessment manikin scale. Participants underwent EEG while performing the tasks.

RESULTS

At the behavior level, there was a significant main effect of emotional valence on movement speed, with participants exhibiting significantly slower movements in the negative emotional condition than in the neutral condition. EEG data showed increased theta oscillation and larger P1 amplitude in response to negative than to neural images suggesting that more cognitive resources were required to process negative than neutral images. EEG data also showed a larger late CNV area in the neutral condition than in the negative condition, which suggested that there was a significant decrease in brain activation during action tasks in negative emotional condition than in the neural. While the early CNV did not reveal a significant main effect of emotional valence.

CONCLUSION

The present results indicate that a negative emotion can slow movement, which is largely due to negative emotional processing consuming more resources than non-emotional processing and this interference effect mainly occurred in the late movement preparation phase.

Impairment in recognition of emotional facial expressions in Alzheimer's disease is represented by EEG theta and alpha responses

Behavioral studies have shown that the recognition of facial expressions may be impaired in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The identification and recognition of a facial expression might be represented by event-related brain oscillations. The present study aims to analyze EEG event-related oscillations and determine the electrophysiological indicators of impaired facial expression recognition in AD patients. EEGs of 30 healthy controls and 30 AD patients were recorded during their perception of three different facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral). Event-related power spectrum and phase locking were analyzed in the theta (4-7) and alpha (8-13 Hz) frequency bands with the EEGLAB open toolbox. There was a significant facial Expression × Group interaction (p < 0.05) for the theta power spectrum; the healthy control group had higher theta power than the AD group during the perception of angry facial expressions (p < 0.05). There was a significant hemisphere difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). There was a right hemisphere alpha power dominance in healthy subjects. However, AD patients did not have this alpha power asymmetry. The present study, for the first time in the literature, presents the electrophysiological indicators of impaired recognition of facial expression in AD patients. The current study could be a basis for future studies that will analyze emotional processing in different kinds of dementia patients, and this study may have provided indicators of electrophysiological correlates of behavioral problems observed in clinical practice.

Lateralization of directional brain-heart information transfer during visual emotional elicitation

Previous studies have characterized the physiological interactions between central nervous system (brain) and peripheral cardiovascular system (heart) during affective elicitation in healthy subjects; however, questions related to the directionality of this functional interplay have been gaining less attention from the scientific community. Here, we explore brain-heart interactions during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects using measures of Granger causality (GC), a widely used descriptor of causal influences between two dynamical systems. The proposed approach inferences causality between instantaneous cardiovagal dynamics estimated from inhomogeneous point-process models of the heartbeat and high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) dynamics in 22 healthy subjects who underwent pleasant/unpleasant affective elicitation by watching pictures from the International Affective Picture System database. Particularly, we calculated the GC indexes between the EEG spectrogram in the canonical θ-, α-, β-, and γ-bands and both the instantaneous mean heart rate and its continuous parasympathetic modulations (i.e., the instantaneous HF power). Thus we looked for significant statistical differences among GC values estimated during the resting state, neutral elicitation, and pleasant/unpleasant arousing elicitation. As compared with resting state, coupling strength increases significantly in the left hemisphere during positive stimuli and in the right hemisphere during negative stimuli. Our results further reveal a correlation between emotional valence and lateralization of the dynamical information transfer going from brain-to-heart, mainly localized in the prefrontal, somatosensory, and posterior cortexes, and of the information transfer from heart-to-brain, mainly reflected into the fronto-parietal cortex oscillations in the γ-band (30 −45 Hz).

Neural responses to criticism and praise vary with schizotypy and perceived emotional support

Schizotypy is a latent organisation of a cluster of personality styles, such as magical thinking, disorganisation and anhedonia, which are in the normal range of the psychosis continuum. Schizotypy relates to an increased likelihood of perceiving expressed emotion (EE). EE is characterised by criticism, rejection, and emotional over-involvement and less warmth from a close relative. Neuroimaging studies have found normal frontal lobe activation to EE-criticism in people with high schizotypy. Alternatively, electroencephalography measures emotion processing, such as frontal theta power and occipital alpha power. Frontal theta power responds to cognitive and affective processes and occipital alpha power denotes less consciousness and emotional attention. This study aimed to determine the relation of these electroencephalography responses during criticism and praise to perceived emotional support. Participants (n = 32) representing the full (low-to-high) range of positive schizotypy listened to and rated the self-relevance of EE-like criticism and praise and affectively neutral comments while undergoing electroencephalography. Participants completed self-report measures of schizotypy, depression and anxiety. A subset of those with a high positive schizotypy score (n = 22) completed a measure of perceived EE - lack of emotional support. Higher perceived EE - lack of emotional support correlated with lower frontal theta power and lower occipital alpha power during criticism and praise in schizotypal participants. The findings suggest that these neural responses may relate to less perceived emotional support in people with high schizotypy, of which a reduction of frontal theta power denotes less emotional arousal and lower occipital alpha power denotes more alertness to emotional information may relate to less perceived emotional support in people with high schizotypy.

The behavioural inhibition system, behavioural activation system and experiential avoidance as explanatory variables of comorbid chronic pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms

Background: The variables that underlie comorbid chronic pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are not yet clearly established. Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the role of the behavioural inhibition system (BIS), behavioural approach system (BAS) and experiential avoidance (EA) in pain adjustment (i.e. pain intensity, daily functioning and pain-related impairment) in patients with chronic pain and PTSS. Methods: A battery of instruments was administered to 388 chronic pain patients. The sample was divided into those with PTSS (n = 194) and those without PTSS (n =194). Results: Significant differences were found between groups in the BIS, EA, impairment and daily functioning. No differences were found between groups in the BAS. Structural equation modelling showed that the BIS and EA were associated with worse adjustment in the 194 patients with both chronic pain and PTSS. The BAS was associated with a lower level of pain and greater daily functioning. Conclusion: The findings provide evidence that BIS and BAS activation and EA play a role in adjustment to chronic pain in patients with concurrent PTSS. These results may help guide the development of psychological treatments for patients with both conditions.

Measuring and monitoring emotional changes in children who stutter

The assessment of clients with speech disorders presents challenges for speech-language pathologists. For example, having a reliable way of measuring the severity of the case, determining which remedial program is aligned with a patient's needs, and measuring of treatment processes. There is potential for brain-computer interface (BCI) applications to enhance speech therapy sessions by providing objective insights and real-time visualization of brain activity during the sessions. This paper presents a study on emotional state detection during speech pathology. The goal of this study is to investigate affective-motivational brain responses to stimuli in children who stutter. To this end, we conducted an experiment that involved recording frontal electroencephalography (EEG) activity from fifteen children with stuttering whilst they looked at visual stimuli. The contribution of our study is to provide a comprehensive background and a framework for emotional state detection experiments as assessment and monitoring tool in speech pathology. It mainly discusses the feasibility and potential benefits of applying EEG-based emotion detection in speech-language therapy contexts of use. The findings of our research indicate that emotional recognition using non-invasive EEG-based BCI system is sufficient to differentiate between affective states of individuals in treatment contexts.

EEG and autonomic responses to nociceptive stimulation in disorders of consciousness

Since behavioral responses to external stimuli of patients presenting disorders of consciousness (DoC) are often difficult to qualify, covert physiological correlates of responsivity are deemed as potentially valuable tools to help assessment procedures. While noxious stimuli seem good candidates to explore DoC patients' responsivity, autonomic and electrophysiological correlates of pain detection in DoC patients are still debated. This research aims at investigating autonomic and cortical activation as covert measure of residual somatosensory and nociceptive processes in patients in vegetative state. Twenty-one patients received touch- and pain-related stimulations while autonomic and cortical measures were recorded, with minimal stress for them. Results showed an increased frontal and parietal activation in response to both touch and pain stimuli. Pain-related stimulation was however associated with greater delta parietal response, lower left frontal activation, and increased electrodermal and heart rate measures. Present findings suggest that both somatic stimulations could induce measurable central responses, which might mirror basic attention orientation and perceptual processes. Nonetheless, the nociceptive stimulation in particular seemed to induce a more consistent and informative pattern of covert response even if we used a mild pain-induction procedure.

Emotion Regulation in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Clinical Intervention as Assessed by EEG and Optical Imaging (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy)

Previous research on Schizophrenia (S) revealed anomalies in brain responsiveness during emotion processing, as shown by neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. Nonetheless preserved capacities to explicitly evaluate the emotional significance of affective stimuli in term of valence have been found. The present study applied functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and EEG to explore the spatial and temporal expressions of emotion processing in the brain before (T0) and after (T2) an emotional Neurofeedback (NF) training of patients, assigned to the control or the experimental group. Explicit measures revealed correct identifications of stimuli emotional valence before (T0) and after (T2) the treatment, while implicit measures (EEG and fNIRS) showed a modulation and increased competencies only after the NF (T2), with more balanced prefrontal activity.

Functional brain connectivity when cooperation fails

Functional connectivity during cooperative actions is an important topic in social neuroscience that has yet to be answered. Here, we examined the effects of administration of (fictitious) negative social feedback in relation to cooperative capabilities. Cognitive performance and neural activation underlying the execution of joint actions was recorded with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) on prefrontal regions during a task where pairs of participants received negative feedback after their joint action. Performance (error rates (ERs) and response times (RTs)) and intra- and inter-brain connectivity indices were computed, along with the ConIndex (inter-brain/intra-brain connectivity). Finally, correlational measures were considered to assess the relation between these different measures. Results showed that the negative feedback was able to modulate participants' responses for both behavioral and neural components. Cognitive performance was decreased after the feedback. Moreover, decreased inter-brain connectivity and increased intra-brain connectivity was induced by the feedback, whereas the cooperative task pre-feedback condition was able to increase the brain-to-brain coupling, mainly localized within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Finally, the presence of significant correlations between RTs and inter-brain connectivity revealed that ineffective joint action produces the worst cognitive performance and a more 'individual strategy' for brain activity, limiting the inter-brain connectivity. The present study provides a significant contribution to the identification of patterns of intra- and inter-brain functional connectivity when negative social reinforcement is provided in relation to cooperative actions.

Neurodynamics and connectivity during facial fear perception: The role of threat exposure and signal congruity

Fearful faces convey threat cues whose meaning is contextualized by eye gaze: While averted gaze is congruent with facial fear (both signal avoidance), direct gaze (an approach signal) is incongruent with it. We have previously shown using fMRI that the amygdala is engaged more strongly by fear with averted gaze during brief exposures. However, the amygdala also responds more to fear with direct gaze during longer exposures. Here we examined previously unexplored brain oscillatory responses to characterize the neurodynamics and connectivity during brief (~250 ms) and longer (~883 ms) exposures of fearful faces with direct or averted eye gaze. We performed two experiments: one replicating the exposure time by gaze direction interaction in fMRI (N = 23), and another where we confirmed greater early phase locking to averted-gaze fear (congruent threat signal) with MEG (N = 60) in a network of face processing regions, regardless of exposure duration. Phase locking to direct-gaze fear (incongruent threat signal) then increased significantly for brief exposures at ~350 ms, and at ~700 ms for longer exposures. Our results characterize the stages of congruent and incongruent facial threat signal processing and show that stimulus exposure strongly affects the onset and duration of these stages.

Cooperate or not cooperate EEG, autonomic, and behavioral correlates of ineffective joint strategies

Introduction

The neural activity in response to ineffective joint actions was explored in the present study. Subjects involved in a cooperative but frustrating task (poor performance as manipulated by an external feedback) were required to cooperate (T1) during an attentional task in a way to synchronize their responses and obtain better outcomes.

Methods

We manipulated their strategies by providing false feedbacks (T2) signaling the incapacity to create a synergy, which was reinforced by a general negative evaluation halfway through the game. A control condition was provided (no cooperation required, T0) as well as a check for possible learning effect (time series analysis). The effects of the feedback in modulating subjects' behavioral performance and electrocortical activity were explored by means of brain oscillations (delta, theta, alpha, beta) and autonomic activity (heart rate, HR; skin conductance activity, SCR).

Results

Results showed a specific pattern of behavioral, neural, and peripheral responses after the social feedback. In fact, within this condition, worse behavioral outcomes emerged, with longer response times with respect to the prefeedback one. In parallel, a specific right-lateralized effect was observed over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with increased delta and theta power compared to the previous condition. Moreover, increased SCR was observed with respect to the first part.

Conclusions

Two interpretations are put forward to explain the present findings: 1) the contribution of negative emotions in response to failing interactions or 2) a motivational disengagement toward goal-oriented cooperation elicited by frustrating evaluations.

The Increased Sex Differences in Susceptibility to Emotional Stimuli during Adolescence: An Event-Related Potential Study

The present study investigated how pubertal development and sex interact to influence humans’ emotion susceptibility during adolescence. Event-related potentials were recorded for highly emotional, mildly emotional and neutral stimuli in positive and negative blocks, when 73 adolescents (36 pre-/early pubertal students, 19 boys, 10–12 years old; 37 mid-/late pubertal students, 18 boys, 11–13 years old) performed an implicit emotion task. Behavioral analysis showed higher positive mood ratings for pre-/early compared to mid-/late pubertal subjects, irrespective of sex and block. ERP analysis demonstrated increasing Late Positive Potential (LPP) amplitudes from neutral, Mildly Positive (MP) to Highly Positive (HP) stimuli in pre-/early pubertal, but not in mid-/late pubertal adolescents. However, girls exhibited higher P3a amplitudes during mid-/late relative to pre-/early puberty for negative stimuli irrespective of intensity; while this puberty effect was absent in boys. In addition, girls compared to boys exhibited a more pronounced LPP enhancement effect for Highly Negative (HN) stimuli and a lower threshold of responding to negative stimuli in P3b amplitudes, regardless of puberty. These results suggest that, though there is a puberty-independent sensitivity to negative stimuli in girls relative to boys, puberty selectively intensifies girls’ attention bias for negative stimuli and reduces experiential sensitivity to positive stimuli in both sexes. The implication of these results for the sex-related psychopathology during adolescence were discussed.

Why to cooperate is better than to compete: brain and personality components

Background

Cooperation and competition were compared in the present study. Brain correlates (electroencephalography, EEG frequency band, delta, theta, alpha, and beta) and hemodynamic measure of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS, O2Hb) were acquired during a joined cooperative (Experiment 1) or competitive (Experiment 2) task. Subjects were required to match each other’s cognitive performance (cooperation) or to make better than others (competition) in terms of accuracy (error rate, ER) and response time (RT). In addition, a personality trait measure (behavioral activation system, BAS) was used to distinguish subjects based on their rewarding attitude. Self-perception of social ranking and real performance were considered in response to subjects’ performance (that was artificially manipulated to show an increasing or decreasing profile during the task).

Results

An increased left prefrontal cortical (PFC) responsiveness was found for subjects who had higher BAS rating in case of both cooperation and competition conditions. Moreover, subjects with higher BAS ratings showed greater frontal left activity during the cooperative task. These subjects also concomitantly perceived an increasing in social ranking and improved their performance.

Conclusions

Present results demonstrated that some trait components (BAS) and cooperative condition induce a positive self-representation in term of ranking and a best way to perform the task, as underlined by self-perception and cognitive outcomes. Indeed the higher BAS trait proved to be related with the representation of higher social ranking and with the perception of improved cognitive outcomes, with also a significant increased left PFC activity in cooperative contexts.

Web addiction in the brain: Cortical oscillations, autonomic activity, and behavioral measures

Background and aims Internet addiction (IA) was recently defined as a disorder tagging both the impulse control and the reward systems. Specifically, inhibitory deficits and reward bias were considered highly relevant in IA. This research aims to examine the electrophysiological correlates and autonomic activity [skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate] in two groups of young subjects (N = 25), with high or low IA profile [tested by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT)], with specific reference to gambling behavior. Methods Oscillatory brain activity (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) and autonomic and behavioral measures [response times (RTs) and error rates (ERs)] were acquired during the performance of a Go/NoGo task in response to high-rewarding (online gambling videos and video games) or neutral stimuli. Results A better performance (reduced ERs and reduced RTs) was revealed for high IAT in the case of NoGo trials representing rewarding cues (inhibitory control condition), probably due to a "gain effect" induced by the rewarding condition. In addition, we also observed for NoGo trials related to gambling and video games stimuli that (a) increased low-frequency band (delta and theta) and SCR and (b) a specific lateralization effect (more left-side activity) delta and theta in high IAT. Discussion Both inhibitory control deficits and reward bias effect were considered to explain IA.

Evidences from Rewarding System, FRN and P300 Effect in Internet-Addiction in Young People SHORT TITLE: Rewarding System and EEG in Internet-Addiction

The present research explored rewarding bias and attentional deficits in Internet addiction (IA) based on the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) construct, during an attentional inhibitory task (Go/NoGo task). Event-related Potentials (ERPs) effects (Feedback Related Negativity (FRN) and P300) were monitored in concomitance with Behavioral Activation System (BAS) modulation. High-IAT young participants showed specific responses to IA-related cues (videos representing online gambling and videogames) in terms of cognitive performance (decreased Response Times, RTs; and Error Rates, ERs) and ERPs modulation (decreased FRN and increased P300). Consistent reward and attentional biases was adduced to explain the cognitive "gain" effect and the anomalous response in terms of both feedback behavior (FRN) and attentional (P300) mechanisms in high-IAT. In addition, BAS and BAS-Reward subscales measures were correlated with both IAT and ERPs variations. Therefore, high sensitivity to IAT may be considered as a marker of dysfunctional reward processing (reduction of monitoring) and cognitive control (higher attentional values) for specific IA-related cues. More generally, a direct relationship among reward-related behavior, Internet addiction and BAS attitude was suggested.

Causal brain-heart information transfer during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects: Preliminary evaluations and future perspectives

Complex heartbeat dynamics is known to reflect subject's emotional state, thanks to numerous links to brain cortical and subcortical regions. Likewise, specific brain regions are deeply involved in vagally-mediated emotional processing and regulation. Nevertheless, although the brain-heart interplay has been studied during visual emotion elicitation, directional interactions have not been investigated so far. To fill this gap, in this study we investigate brain-heart dynamics during emotional elicitation in healthy subjects through measures of Granger causality (GC) between the two physiological systems. Data were gathered from 22 healthy volunteers who underwent pleasant/ unpleasant affective elicitation using pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Neutral emotional stimuli were elicited as well. High density electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were processed to obtain time-varying maps of cortical activation, whereas the associated instantaneous cardiovascular dynamics was estimated through inhomogeneous point-process models. Concerning the information transfer brain-to-heart, GE highlighted significant valence-dependent lateralization with respect to resting states. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, the study of heart-to-brain dynamics considering EEG oscillations in the γ band (30-45 Hz) highlighted differential information transfer between neutral and positive elicitations directed to the prefrontal cortex.

When Cooperation Was Efficient or Inefficient. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Evidence

Cooperation is a construct within social cognition that requires both self-perception and the comprehension of others' actions. In the case of synchronized activities the adoption of common strategies is crucial, but this process can be strongly influenced by those variables. In fact, self-perceived efficacy within the social exchange can affect the motivational components toward the creation of synergic actions. Thus, what happens when our performance is efficient or inefficient during cooperation? This question was answered in the present study where we compared behavioral performance and neural activation across different conditions where subjects received an external feedback assessing a good or a poor outcome during a cooperative game. The request was to synchronize responses in a way to achieve good cooperation scorings. Results showed that the behavioral performance was affected by feedback valence, since the negative feedback induced a significant worse performance in contrast to the positive one, which significantly increased performance. For what concerns neural activation, data from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) showed a specific lateralization effect with the right DLPFC recruited in the case of negative feedback, and an opposite left-sided effect in the case of a positive feedback. Findings were interpreted by proposing that the inefficient condition could be similar to a competitive context since the perception of a failed joint action could have frustrated the cooperative attitude and the use of joint strategies.

Resting state and personality component (BIS/BAS) predict the brain activity (EEG and fNIRS measure) in response to emotional cues

INTRODUCTION

The present study explored the role of resting state and personality component (BIS/BAS measure) on prefrontal cortical responsiveness to emotional cues. Indeed, we supposed that lateralized resting activity (right vs. left) and approach (BAS) versus avoidance (BIS) attitude may explain the successive emotional processing within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) based on the stimulus valence (positive and negative emotional cues).

METHODS

Hemodynamic (functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS) and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures were considered. The resting and experimental brain activity were registered when subjects (N = 21) viewed emotional positive versus negative stimuli (International Affective Picture System, IAPS). LIR _eeg and LIR _nirs (lateralized Index Response) during resting state, and LI _eeg and LI _nirs during emotional processing were acquired.

RESULTS

A set of regression analyses was applied to the multiple measures. The predictive effect of resting activity and approach/avoidance dichotomy were elucidated. Indeed, more left/right resting activity (for both LIR _eeg and LIR _nirs) predicted the successive more brain left/right response (LI _eeg and LI _nirs) to emotional cues. Second, significant effects were revealed as a function of valence (increased right response to negative stimuli; increased left response to positive stimuli) during emotion processing. Third, higher BAS values explained an increased left cortical activity in resting state and in experimental condition for positive cues. In contrast, higher BIS values marked an increased right activity in resting state and in experimental condition in response to negative cues.

CONCLUSION

The significance of trait component for both resting and emotional cue processing was discussed at light of the present results.

Affective pictures processing is reflected by an increased long-distance EEG connectivity

Analysis of affective picture processing by means of EEG has invaded the literature. The methodology of event-related EEG coherence is one of the essential methods used to analyze functional connectivity. The aims of the present study are to find out the long range EEG connectivity changes in perception of different affective pictures and analyze gender differences in these long range connected networks. EEGs of 28 healthy subjects (14 female) were recorded at 32 locations. The participants passively viewed emotional pictures (IAPS, unpleasant, pleasant, neutral). The long-distance intra-hemispheric event-related coherence was analyzed for delta (1-3.5 Hz), theta (4-7.5 Hz), and alpha (8-13 Hz) frequency ranges for F₃-T₇, F₄-T₈, F₃-TP₇, F₄-TP₈, F₃-P₃, F₄-P₄, F₃-O₁, F₄-O₂, C₃-O₁, C₄-O₂ electrode pairs. Unpleasant pictures elicited significantly higher delta coherence values than neutral pictures (p < 0.05), over fronto-parietal, fronto-occipital, and centro-occipital electrode pairs. Furthermore, unpleasant pictures elicited higher theta coherence values than pleasant (p < 0.05) and neutral pictures (p < 0.05). The present study showed that female subjects had higher delta (p < 0.05) and theta (p < 0.05) coherence values than male subjects. This difference was observed more for emotional pictures than for neutral pictures. This study showed that the brain connectivity was higher during emotional pictures than neutral pictures. Females had higher connectivity between different parts of the brain than males during emotional processes. According to these results, we may comment that increased valence and arousal caused increased brain activity. It seems that not just single sources but functional networks were also activated during perception of emotional pictures.

Empathy in Negative and Positive Interpersonal Interactions. What is the Relationship Between Central (EEG, fNIRS) and Peripheral (Autonomic) Neurophysiological Responses?

Emotional empathy is crucial to understand how we respond to interpersonal positive or negative situations. In the present research, we aim at identifying the neural networks and the autonomic responsiveness underlying the human ability to perceive and empathize with others' emotions when positive (cooperative) or negative (uncooperative) interactions are observed. A multimethodological approach was adopted to elucidate the reciprocal interplay of autonomic (peripheral) and central (cortical) activities in empathic behavior. Electroencephalography (EEG, frequency band analysis) and hemodynamic (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, fNIRS) activity were all recorded simultaneously with systemic skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate (HR) measurements as potential biological markers of emotional empathy. Subjects were required to empathize in interpersonal interactions. As shown by fNIRS/EEG measures, negative situations elicited increased brain responses within the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), whereas positive situations elicited greater responses within the left PFC. Therefore, a relevant lateralization effect was induced by the specific valence (mainly for negative conditions) of the emotional interactions. Also, SCR was modulated by positive/negative conditions. Finally, EEG activity (mainly low-frequency theta and delta bands) intrinsically correlated with the cortical hemodynamic responsiveness, and they both predicted autonomic activity. The integrated central and autonomic measures better elucidated the significance of empathic behavior in interpersonal interactions.

Brain-heart linear and nonlinear dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects

This study investigates brain-heart dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects through linear and nonlinear coupling measures of EEG spectrogram and instantaneous heart rate estimates. To this extent, affective pictures including different combinations of arousal and valence levels, gathered from the International Affective Picture System, were administered to twenty-two healthy subjects. Time-varying maps of cortical activation were obtained through EEG spectral analysis, whereas the associated instantaneous heartbeat dynamics was estimated using inhomogeneous point-process linear models. Brain-Heart linear and nonlinear coupling was estimated through the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC), considering EEG time-varying spectra and point-process estimates defined in the time and frequency domains. As a proof of concept, we here show preliminary results considering EEG oscillations in the θ band (4-8 Hz). This band, indeed, is known in the literature to be involved in emotional processes. MIC highlighted significant arousal-dependent changes, mediated by the prefrontal cortex interplay especially occurring at intermediate arousing levels. Furthermore, lower and higher arousing elicitations were associated to not significant brain-heart coupling changes in response to pleasant/unpleasant elicitations.

The modulation of delta responses in the interaction of brightness and emotion

The modulation of delta oscillations (0.5-3.5Hz) by emotional stimuli is reported. Physical attributes such as color, brightness and spatial frequency of emotional visual stimuli have crucial effect on the perception of complex scene. Brightness is intimately related with emotional valence. Here we explored the effect of brightness on delta oscillatory responses upon presentation of pleasant, unpleasant and neutral pictures. We found that bright unpleasant pictures elicited lower amplitude of delta response than original unpleasant pictures. The electrophysiological finding of the study was in accordance with behavioral data. These results denoted the importance of delta responses on the examination of the association between perceptual and conceptual processes while in the question of brightness and emotion.

Competition in the Brain. The Contribution of EEG and fNIRS Modulation and Personality Effects in Social Ranking

In the present study, the social ranking perception in competition was explored. Brain response (alpha band oscillations, EEG; hemodynamic activity, O2Hb), as well as self-perception of social ranking, cognitive performance, and personality trait (Behavioral Activation System, BAS) were considered during a competitive joint-action. Subjects were required to develop a strategy to obtain a better outcome than a competitor (C) (in term of error rate, and response time, RT). A pre-feedback (without a specific feedback on the performance) and a post-feedback condition (which reinforced the improved performance) were provided. It was found that higher-BAS participants responded in greater measure to perceived higher cognitive performance (post-feedback condition), with increased left prefrontal activity, higher ranking perception, and a better real performance (reduced RTs). These results were explained in term of increased sense of self-efficacy and social position, probably based on higher-BAS sensitivity to reinforcing conditions. In addition, the hemispheric effect in favor of the left side characterized the competitive behavior, showing an imbalance for high-BAS in comparison to low-BAS in the case of a rewarding (post-feedback) context. Therefore, the present results confirmed the significance of BAS in modulating brain responsiveness, self-perceived social position, and real performance during an interpersonal competitive action which is considered highly relevant for social status.

Deficit in rewarding mechanisms and prefrontal left/right cortical effect in vulnerability for internet addiction

OBJECTIVE

The present research explored the cortical correlates of rewarding mechanisms and cortical 'unbalance' effect in internet addiction (IA) vulnerability.

METHODS

Internet Addiction Inventory (IAT) and personality trait (Behavioural Inhibition System, BIS; Behavioural Activation System, BAS) were applied to 28 subjects. Electroencephalographic (EEG, alpha frequency band) and response times (RTs) were registered during a Go-NoGo task execution in response to different online stimuli: gambling videos, videogames or neutral stimuli. Higher-IAT (more than 50 score, with moderate or severe internet addiction) and lower-IAT (<50 score, with no internet addiction).

RESULTS

Alpha band and RTs were affected by IAT, with significant bias (reduced RTs) for high-IAT in response to gambling videos and videogames; and by BAS, BAS-Reward subscale (BAS-R), since not only higher-IAT, but also BAS and BAS-R values determined an increasing of left prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity (alpha reduction) in response to videogames and gambling stimuli for both Go and NoGo conditions, in addition to decreased RTs for these stimuli categories.

CONCLUSION

The increased PFC responsiveness and the lateralisation (left PFC hemisphere) effect in NoGo condition was explained on the basis of a 'rewarding bias' towards more rewarding cues and a deficit in inhibitory control in higher-IAT and higher-BAS subjects. In contrast lower-IAT and lower-BAS predicted a decreased PFC response and increased RTs for NoGo (inhibitory mechanism). These results may support the significance of personality (BAS) and IAT measures for explaining future internet addiction behaviour based on this observed 'vulnerability'.