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The differential relationship between trait anxiety, depression, and resting frontal α-asymmetry

  • Psychiatry and Preclinical Psychiatric Studies - Original Article
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Abstract

Relatively larger resting right frontal cortical brain activation has been labeled as a risk factor for emotion-related disorders. In light of this framework, the present studies’ aim was twofold. First, we wanted to determine whether a relationship between symptoms of anxiety and depression and frontal asymmetry does already manifest in a sample of so far healthy individuals showing a large symptom range. This could be expected if frontal asymmetry constitutes a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Second, we aimed to investigate whether symptoms of depression and anxiety are independently related to frontal asymmetry, or whether either anxiety or depression is superior in predicting the relationship with frontal asymmetry. To address these questions, trait-like resting frontal α-asymmetry by means of EEG, as well as trait anxiety and depressive symptoms by questionnaire were measured from 43 healthy students (28 female). Results indicate that higher symptom severity of depression and anxiety were both significantly correlated with relatively larger right frontal cortical activation. However, in a regression analysis, frontal asymmetry was predicted by anxiety only. Controlling for depression and mood, anxiety explained 13% of variance, while controlling for mood and anxiety, depression did explain <1% of variance within frontal asymmetry. In conclusion, although both anxiety and depression add to the relationship, relatively larger right frontal cortical activity might be influenced more strongly by symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, as this effect is present already in healthy individuals, the findings might further support the notion that right frontal cortical asymmetry constitutes a risk factor for anxiety or depression.

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Notes

  1. Typically, asymmetrical frontal cortical brain activation is assessed by means of alpha power difference in electroencephalography between right and left frontal electrodes. Because cortical alpha power is inversely related to cortical activity (Davidson 1988), relatively enhanced right frontal cortical activity is indexed by relatively reduced right frontal alpha power, while relatively enhanced left frontal cortical activity is indexed by relatively reduced left frontal alpha power. Within the current manuscript we will refer to cortical activation rather than alpha power.

  2. However, as proposed by Hellers’ two-dimensional model anxiety manifesting predominantly with symptoms of anxious-apprehension might also be characterized by enhanced relative left frontal activity (e.g., in generalized anxiety disorder) (Heller and Nitschke 1998; Nitschke et al. 1999).

  3. In the current study we used a linked mastoid reference. This was chosen in favor of other classical reference schemes (i.e., average reference, vertex reference) because (1) it is favorable for the measurement of anterior alpha activity above the other schemes (Hagemann 2004) and (2) it has been widely used in research on frontal asymmetry (Hagemann 2004) and thus ensures comparability of results with previous literature. However, it was argued that a current source density measure (CSD) might be promising in order to avoid several reference issues such as mirroring of dipoles and others (Hagemann 2004)—also in context of resting trait-like frontal asymmetry (Velo et al. 2012; Stewart et al. 2010). Therefore, we also calculated the partial correlations determining the unique variance of our predicting variables depression and anxiety (our most important outcome measure) using the reference free CSD derivation (see Kayser and Tenke (2006) for methods). Results of these analyses were comparable with those from the linked mastoid reference. Controlling for mood and depression, anxiety significantly correlated with asymmetry, r = −.370, p = .034, while controlling for mood and anxiety, the correlation with depression failed to reach statistical significance, r = .258, p = .147 (no significant correlations were found for asymmetry scores including lateral frontal electrode sites, i.e., F7/F8, see for example Stewart et al. 2010).

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Correspondence to Dirk Adolph.

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Adolph, D., Margraf, J. The differential relationship between trait anxiety, depression, and resting frontal α-asymmetry. J Neural Transm 124, 379–386 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1664-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1664-9

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