The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 Sep;68:794-815. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.005. Epub 2016 Jul 18.
Affective and anxiety disorders are debilitating conditions characterized by impairments in cognitive and social functioning. Elucidating their neural underpinnings may assist in improving diagnosis and developing targeted interventions. Neural oscillations are fundamental for brain functioning. Specifically, oscillations in the alpha frequency range (alpha rhythms) are prevalent in the awake, conscious brain and play an important role in supporting perceptual, cognitive, and social processes. We review studies utilizing various alpha power measurements to assess abnormalities in brain functioning in affective and anxiety disorders as well as obsessive compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders. Despite some inconsistencies, studies demonstrate associations between aberrant alpha patterns and these disorders both in response to specific cognitive and emotional tasks and during a resting state. We conclude by discussing methodological considerations and future directions, and underscore the need for much further research on the role of alpha functionality in social contexts. As social dysfunction accompanies most psychiatric conditions, research on alpha's involvement in social processes may provide a unique window into the neural mechanisms underlying these disorders.
情感和焦虑障碍是一种使人衰弱的疾病，其特征是认知和社会功能受损。阐明其神经基础可能有助于改善诊断和开发针对性干预措施。神经振荡是大脑功能的基础。具体来说，在清醒和有意识的大脑中，alpha 频带（alpha 节律）的振荡很普遍，在支持感知、认知和社会过程中起着重要作用。我们回顾了利用各种 alpha 功率测量来评估情感和焦虑障碍以及强迫症和创伤后应激障碍中大脑功能异常的研究。尽管存在一些不一致之处，但研究表明，异常的 alpha 模式与这些疾病之间存在关联，无论是在对特定认知和情绪任务的反应中，还是在休息状态下。最后，我们讨论了方法学的考虑因素和未来的方向，并强调需要进一步研究 alpha 功能在社交环境中的作用。由于大多数精神疾病都伴有社交功能障碍，因此研究 alpha 参与社会过程可能为这些疾病的神经机制提供一个独特的视角。
