Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Psychophysiology. 2017 Sep;54(9):1295-1310. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12878. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
The approach-withdrawal model of hemispheric activation suggests that left frontal cortical areas mediate approach, while right frontal cortical areas mediate withdrawal motivation. Within this framework, the present study investigates the association of frontal cortical asymmetry with attentional and emotional responses toward approach- and withdrawal-related emotional stimuli. Resting frontal asymmetry was measured from 43 students before they passively viewed negative, neutral, and positive emotional pictures. The startle reflex, skin conductance response, and subjective ratings of valence and arousal were assessed to quantify emotional responding, while attention was assessed with ERPs. We also assessed frontal asymmetry in response to the pictures. Results indicated that relatively stronger right frontal cortical activation was associated with increased N1 amplitudes and more negative subjective emotional evaluation of all stimuli. Furthermore, enhanced right frontal asymmetry (state and trait) was associated with diminished emotional modulation of the late positive potential. In contrast, no association of frontal asymmetry with defensive reflex physiology or activation of sympathetic nervous system activity was found. The current data suggest dissociable influence of resting frontal brain asymmetry on attentional and physiological processing of withdrawal- and approach-related stimuli. That is, asymmetrical frontal cortical brain activation might not modulate approach-/withdrawal-related motor responses and sympathetic arousal directly, but instead enhances allocation of attentional resources to subjectively significant stimuli. The results are discussed in terms of their potential importance for emotion perception in anxiety disorders and their contribution to the understanding of frontal asymmetry.
半球激活的趋近-回避模型表明，左额叶皮质区域介导趋近，而右额叶皮质区域介导回避动机。在这个框架内，本研究调查了额叶皮质不对称性与注意和情绪对趋近和回避相关情绪刺激的反应之间的关联。在 43 名学生被动观看负面、中性和正面情绪图片之前，从他们那里测量了静息时的额叶不对称性。使用 startle 反射、皮肤电反应和主观效价和唤醒评分来量化情绪反应，同时使用 ERP 评估注意力。我们还评估了对图片的额叶不对称性。结果表明，相对较强的右侧额叶皮质激活与所有刺激的 N1 振幅增加和更负的主观情绪评价相关。此外，增强的右侧额叶不对称性（状态和特质）与晚期正电位的情绪调节减弱有关。相比之下，没有发现额叶不对称性与防御反射生理学或交感神经系统活动的激活之间存在关联。目前的数据表明，静息时额叶大脑不对称性对回避和趋近相关刺激的注意和生理处理有不同的影响。也就是说，不对称的额叶皮质脑激活可能不会直接调节与趋近/回避相关的运动反应和交感神经唤醒，而是增强对主观重要刺激的注意力资源分配。讨论了这些结果对于焦虑障碍中的情绪感知的潜在重要性及其对额叶不对称性理解的贡献。
