Biomedical subjects

L I Aftanas

Publications and source records attributed to L I Aftanas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Effects of alexithymia on the activity of the anterior and posterior areas of the cortex of the right hemisphere in positive and negative emotional activation.

The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of alexithymia (a psychoemotional disorder associated with difficulties in identifying and describing personal feelings) on regional activity in the cerebral cortex during positive and negative emotional activation in a non-clinical set of subjects. EEG (62-channel) recordings were made during presentation of special emotional video clips to alexithymics (17 subjects) and controls (27 subjects). Alexithymia was found to influence EEG activity in the theta-2, alpha-1, and alpha-2 ranges; alexithymics showed greater reactivity in the anterior and/or posterior areas of the cortex of the right hemisphere in all frequency ranges during watching of both positive and negative clips. The similarity of the responses of alexithymics in conditions of positive and negative emotional activation identifies the increase in emotional reactivity, independent of the sign of the incoming emotional information, as non-specific. This phenomenon may provide evidence of the need for recruiting additional cognitive resources for identifying emotional feelings in relation to the impairments of the symbolic perception of emotional information seen in alexithymics observed here.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Neurophysiological correlates of induced discrete emotions in humans: an individually oriented analysis.

Studies on 30 right-handed subjects addressed EEG characteristics (62 channels) in conditions of laboratory simulation of induced emotions of happiness, joy, anger, disgust, fear/anxiety, and sadness. Induced emotions were found to produce, along with common features, individual patterns in the distribution of amplitude-frequency EEG characteristics. Induced positive and negative discrete emotions were characterized by interhemisphere activatory asymmetry in the theta-2 (4-6 Hz), alpha-2 (10-12 Hz), and beta-1 (12-18 Hz) ranges. Experience of the emotions of joy, anger, and disgust occurred on the background of asymmetrical increases in activity in the anterior cortex of the left hemisphere in the theta-2 range, suggesting a leading role for the activity of these areas in realizing the cognitive components of emotional reacting. In addition, some high-ergicity negative emotions evoked combined alpha-2 and beta-1 desynchronization (disgust) or beta-1 desynchronization (fear/anxiety) in the right parietal-temporal cortex, suggesting its involvement in the mechanisms of non-specific emotional activation. These data provide evidence that each of these emotions is characterized by its own individual pattern in the distribution of the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the EEG and, on the other hand, that series of ranges and cortical areas show similar but different (in terms of intensity) effects in response to emotional activation for emotions of different flavor.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

[The use of individual EEG peculiarities for increase of neurofeedback efficiency].

An aim of the study was to demonstrate efficiency of neurofeedback in using individual frequency ranges of electroencephalogram (EEG). The sessions of theta/beta decreasing and alpha simulating trainings were carried out in 2 outpatients: one of them with attention deficit disorder (a schoolboy) and another one with functional pain contraction (a professional musician). The neurofeedback with standard frequency did not result in any improvement of psychometric and EEG characteristics of both patients. The neurofeedback training with individual frequency of maximal peak and alpha band width improved these characteristics that suggest efficiency of the approach used.

Alpha Rhythm↗

PubMed2006

[Learnability and individual frequency characteristics of EEG alfa activity].

The aim of the study was to determine correlations between individual frequency characteristics of EEG alfa activity (individual frequency of maximal alfa spectral peak IFMA, alfa band width--IABW, alfa spindle variability--AA, length--T, and steepness--S) and individual psychometric intelligence characteristics, calculated EEG-predictors, and real learnability indices. The subjects were 129 healthy men aged 16-50. The results show that people manifesting high IFMA along with low variability and the longest duration of alfa spindle, exhibit better performance in acquiring empiric knowledge. The best learnability is a distinctive feature of people with the highest IFMA and the widest IABW.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Analysis of evoked EEG synchronization and desynchronization during perception of emotiogenic stimuli: association with autonomic activation processes.

The cortical apparatus involved in performing autonomic responses in conditions of emotional activation has received little study. The aim of the present work was to assess the dynamics of evoked EEG synchronization and desynchronization at different frequency ranges during the perception of emotiogenic visual stimuli depending on the extent of accompanying autonomic activation as measured by skin galvanic responses. Studies were performed on 33 students (all right-handed) aged 18-28 years. Difference between subjects with weak (SGR(-)) and strong (SGR(+)) skin galvanic responses were seen only in the theta1 range (4-6 Hz). At the stage at which emotiogenic information was perceived (the first second after the start of stimulus presentation), both groups showed similar dynamics of increases in evoked synchronization in the parietal-temporal-occipital areas of the cortex, with greater involvement of the right hemisphere. From the second second to the end of presentation (2-6 sec), emotiogenic signals gave significantly greater levels of evoked synchronization in these cortical areas as compared with neutral stimuli, and only in the SGR(+) group. These data provide evidence for the involvement of the posterior areas of the cortex of the right hemisphere in the mechanisms of motivational attention and sympathetic activation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

[Alexithymia impact on EEG activity of anterior and posterior regions of the right hemisphere while experiencing positive and negative emotions].

The present study was aimed to assess the influence of alexithymia (an emotional disorder associated with difficulties in identification and describing personal feelings) on regional activity while experiencing positive or negative emotional activation. The 62-channels EEG was recorded in non-alexithymic (n = 27) and alexithymic (n = 17) subjects viewing emotional film clips. Effects of alexithymia were found in the upper theta, low and upper alpha frequency bands; for all the bands the alexithymics exhibited greater reactivity of the right hemisphere, suggesting enhanced avoidance motivational tendencies, negative effect and autonomic arousal. The present phenomenon suggests engagement of additional cognitive resources in identification of emotional feelings. Such a 'cognitive effort' can be a result of impaired referential links and deficit of symbolic processing of emotions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The coincidence between late non-phase-locked gamma synchronization response and saccadic eye movements.

The event-related response in the gamma (30-45 Hz) frequency band was studied in healthy subjects (n=45) viewing sequentially presented pictures from the International Affective Picture System. The distinct non-phase-locked gamma response was obtained in characteristic time window (200-400 ms) with clear-cut centro-parietal location. The strong coincidence between induced gamma oscillations and saccadic eye movements was revealed. We suggest that saccade-related gamma increase is another manifestation of the phenomenon known as presaccadic spike potential, which is commonly registered over parietal scalp leads at 10-20 ms prior to saccade onset. It is hypothesized that late non-phase-locked gamma synchronization mainly reflects activity of a system responsible for attentional tuning and motor planning/execution of saccadic eye movements.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2004

Analysis of evoked EEG synchronization and desynchronization in conditions of emotional activation in humans: temporal and topographic characteristics.

Studies in 20 healthy right-handed subjects analyzed evoked EEG synchronization and desynchronization in the delta, theta1, theta2, alpha1, alpha2, beta1, beta2, beta3, and gamma ranges in response to sequential presentation of stimuli from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) with low, medium, and high emotional activation impact. Each signal presentation was accompanied by subjective scaling of the extent of its emotional impact. EEG traces were recorded in 62 channels as signals were presented. These experiments showed that the degree of emotional impact of the signal was significantly associated with increases in evoked synchronization in the delta, theta1, theta2, beta1, beta3, and gamma ranges and with the effects of combined changes in evoked synchronization and desynchronization in the alpha2 frequency range. The interhemisphere distribution of evoked changes in power provided evidence that not only the posterior areas of the right hemisphere were involved in analyzing the emotional significance of images, as indicated by changes in evoked theta1 and theta2 synchronization and alpha2 desynchronization, but also the anterior areas of the left hemisphere, as indicated by changes in evoked theta2 synchronization. From the standpoint of affective chronometry, the earliest discrimination of the emotional content of stimuli, regardless of the sign of the emotion, occurred in the lower theta range and was seen at 0-600 msec after the start of stimulus presentation. This process was delayed 600-1000 msec in the theta2, alpha2, and gamma ranges.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

[Event-related synchronization and desynchronization of EEG during perception of emotional stimuli: association with autonomous nervous system activity].

Up to now, mechanisms of neurovisceral integration are not clear. The main objective of the present investigation consisted in studying cortical concomitants of sympathetic activity during emotional perception. The 62-channel EEG and skin conductance response (SCR) were recorded while right-handed healthy participants (n-33) viewed sequentially presented neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant pictures. The event-related synchronization (ERS) and desynchronization were measured in different frequency bands. Relying on median split of SCR amplitudes elicited by the presented stimuli the participants were segregated into groups with low (SCR-) and high (SCR+) autonomous activity. In was revealed that group differences were associated with power changes in the low (4-6 Hz) theta band only. For both groups in the early test period (up to 1 s after stimulus onset), emotional vs. neutral stimuli induced larger theta-ERS over posterior cortical regions with greater impact on the right parieto-temporo-occipital regions. At the later phases (2-6 s after stimulus onset), only the SCR group retained emotion-related greater right hemisphere synchronization. It is concluded that the right parieto-temporo-occipital cortex mediates mechanisms of motivated attention and sympathetic activation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

[Neurophysiological correlates of induced discrete emotions in humans: an individual analysis].

The present study addressed EEG pattering during experimentally manipulated emotion. Film clips previously shown to induce happiness,joy, anger, disgust, fear/anxiety, sadness, as well as neutral control films, were presented to 30 university students while a 62-channel EEG was recorded, and a self-reported effect was described. Analyses revealed both emotion-specific and emotion-unspecific EEG pattering for the emotions under study. Induced positive and negative emotions were accompanied by hemispheric activation asymmetries in theta-2, alpha-2, and beta-1 EEG frequency bands. Emotions of joy and disgust induced lateralized a theta-2 power increase in anterior-temporal and frontal regions of the left hemisphere reflecting involvement of cognitive mechanisms in the emotional processing. Negative emotions of disgust and fear/anxiety were characterized by alpha-2 and beta-1 desynchronization of the right temporal-parietal cortex, suggesting its involvement in modulation of the emotion-related arousal.

Cerebral Cortex↗

PubMed2003

Disruption of early event-related theta synchronization of human EEG in alexithymics viewing affective pictures.

The 62-channel EEG was recorded while control non-alexithymic (n=21) and alexithymic (n=20) participants viewed sequentially presented neutral, pleasant and unpleasant pictures and subjectively rated them after each presentation. The event-related synchronization (ERS) to these stimuli was assessed in the theta-1 (4-6 Hz) and theta-2 (6-8 Hz) frequency bands. The obtained findings indicate that alexithymia influences perception of only emotional stimuli. Over anterior cortical regions alexithymia vs. control individuals in response to both pleasant and unpleasant stimuli manifested decreased left hemisphere ERS in the early test period of 0-200 ms along with enhanced ERS in response to negative vs. positive and neutral stimuli in the right hemisphere at 200-600 ms after stimulus onset. The findings provide the first EEG evidence that alexithymia construct, associated with a cognitive deficit in initial evaluation of emotion, is indexed by disrupted early frontal synchronization in the upper theta band that can be best interpreted to reflect disregulation during appraisal of emotional stimuli.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed2003

[Effect of alexithymia on the event-related theta-synchronization of human EEG during reception of emotional visual stimuli].

The 62-channel EEG was recorded while control non-alexithymic (n = 21) and alexithymic (n = 20) participants viewed sequentially presented neutral, pleasant and unpleasant pictures and subjectively rated them after each presentation. The event-related synchronization (ERS) to these stimuli was assessed in the theta-1 (4-6 Hr) and theta-2 (6-8 Hz) frequency bands. The obtained findings indicate that alexithymia influences perception of only emotional stimuli. In the upper theta over anterior cortical regions alexithymia vs control individuals in response to both pleasant and unpleasant stimuli manifested decreased left hemisphere ERS in the early test period of 0-200 ms along with enhanced ERS in response to negative vs positive and neutral stimuli in the right hemisphere at 200-600 ms after stimulus onset. The findings provide the first EEG evidence that alexithymia construct, associated with a cognitive deficit in initial evaluation of emotion, is indexed by disrupted early frontal synchronization in the upper theta band that can be best interpreted to reflect disregulation during appraisal of emotional stimuli.

Affective Symptoms↗

PubMed2002

Non-linear dynamic complexity of the human EEG during meditation.

We used non-linear analysis to investigate the dynamical properties underlying the EEG in the model of Sahaja Yoga meditation. Non-linear dimensional complexity (DCx) estimates, indicating complexity of neuronal computations, were analyzed in 20 experienced meditators during rest and meditation using 62-channel EEG. When compared to rest, the meditation was accompanied by a focused decrease of DCx estimates over midline frontal and central regions. By contrast, additionally computed linear measures exhibited the opposite direction of changes: power in the theta-1 (4-6 Hz), theta-2 (6-8 Hz) and alpha-1 (8-10 Hz) frequency bands was increased over these regions. The DCx estimates negatively correlated with theta-2 and alpha-1 and positively with beta-3 (22-30 Hz) band power. It is suggested that meditative experience, characterized by less complex dynamics of the EEG, involves 'switching off' irrelevant networks for the maintenance of focused internalized attention and inhibition of inappropriate information. Overall, the results point to the idea that dynamically changing inner experience during meditation is better indexed by a combination of non-linear and linear EEG variables.

Alpha Rhythm↗

PubMed2002

[Reflection of the emotion manifestation in effects of evoked EEG synchronization and desynchronization].

Event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization (ERS) in response to neutral, positive and negative emotional IAPS stimuli were measured in narrow theta, alpha-1, alpha-2 and alpha-3 frequency bands in 22 healthy Ss. A high resolution 62-channel EEG was recorded while subjects viewed a sequence of pictures. The effects of valence discrimination related to hemispheric asymmetries are associated with increased theta and alpha-3 synchronization. Theta ERS revealed a significant valence by hemisphere interaction for anterior temporal leads in the time window of 100-700 ms after stimulus onset indicating a relatively greater right hemisphere ERS for negative and a left hemisphere ERS for positive stimuli in comparison to neutral those. In the alpha-3 band, negative stimuli induced a left hemisphere ERS increase (F7 site) in the time window of 800-1200 ms not observed for neutral and positive stimuli. The results obtained along with the earlier observations on EEG correlates of affective processing challenge the notion that effective anterior hemispheric asymmetries are reflected mainly in the wide alpha frequency band.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Human anterior and frontal midline theta and lower alpha reflect emotionally positive state and internalized attention: high-resolution EEG investigation of meditation.

EEG spectral power and coherence estimates in the individually defined delta, theta, alpha-1, alpha-2, and alpha-3 bands were used to identify and characterize brain regions involved in meditative states, in which focused internalized attention gives rise to emotionally positive "blissful" experience. Blissful state was accompanied by increased anterior frontal and midline theta synchronization as well as enhanced theta long-distant connectivity between prefrontal and posterior association cortex with distinct "center of gravity" in the left prefrontal region (AF3 site). Subjective scores of emotional experience significantly correlated with theta, whereas scores of internalized attention with both theta and alpha lower synchronization. Our results propose selective associations of theta and alpha oscillating networks activity with states of internalized attention and positive emotional experience.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Affective picture processing: event-related synchronization within individually defined human theta band is modulated by valence dimension.

Event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization (ERS) in the theta frequency band was measured while subjects viewed stimuli with differing emotional content (from the International Affective Picture System). A significant valence by hemisphere interaction emerged only in the anterior temporal regions, showing relatively greater right hemisphere ERS for negative and left hemisphere ERS for positive stimuli. In turn, in the posterior brain regions affectively valenced vs neutral stimuli prompted larger extent of ERS against the background of the overall right hemisphere dominance in theta synchronization. The findings document that valence discrimination is associated with the early (200-500 ms poststimulus) time-locked synchronized theta activity as well as hemispheric asymmetries in anterior-posterior direction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Non-linear dynamic complexity of the human EEG during evoked emotions.

The present study examined EEG dimensional complexity (estimated correlation dimension) in 76 healthy volunteers in response to emotionally valenced (i.e. neutral, positive and negative) film clip stimulation. EEG was recorded from 18 sites (10-20 system). We estimated the dimensional complexity by the Grassberger and Procaccia and Skinner's point-wise dimension (PD2i) methods. The results were compared to spectral measures of the EEG. Only the PD2i algorithm (i.e. the one that did not require data stationarity) discriminated among all the three film categories. The main results showed that both negative and positive emotions occurred with higher values (at some posterior locations) of EEG DCx estimates compared to the neutral viewing condition. The topographical differences (frontal vs. posterior temporal) between positive and negative evoked emotions were obtained. There were also some significant direct relationships between dynamic complexity estimates and intensities of subjective emotional feelings. It is concluded that dimensional complexity estimates turned out to be sensitive to subtle aspects of emotional processing not accessible by linear EEG analyses.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Non-linear dynamical coupling between different brain areas during evoked emotions: an EEG investigation.

This study examined changes in the non-linear dynamical coupling between different brain areas in response to emotionally valenced (i.e. neutral, affective positive and negative) film stimuli in 76 healthy volunteers. EEG was recorded from 18 sites (10-20 system). A new dynamical measure, mutual dimension (Dm) was applied to the EEG. The Dm was calculated between each electrode paired to all other electrodes. The results were compared to coherence measures. Differential patterns of significant changes of Dm estimates were found in the two emotional conditions. When compared to the neutral viewing condition, the emotionally negative experience provoked significant decreases of short- and long-distance ipsi- and contralateral Dm estimates that were more left-sided (with a 'center of gravity' of Dm decrease at the F7 site), whereas the emotionally positive experience showed a pattern of symmetrically distributed ipsi- and contralateral increases of Dm estimates over central and posterior cortical regions (with 'main processing nodes' of Dm increases at T5 and T6 sites). It is concluded that estimates of the mutual dimension are sensitive to subtle aspects of emotional processing, not accessible by linear (i.e. coherence) analyses.

Adolescent↗