Individual alpha frequency EEG as neurophysiological endophenotype of affective predispositions

Abstract

Individual alpha frequency (IAF) of electroencephalogram (EEG) is regarded as a neurophysiological endophenotypic indicator of cognitive activity featuring individual propensity to efficient cognitive performance and creativity. Considering that cognitive coping style is intrinsic part of emotional regulation, defining medical aspects of individual health as well as risks of psychosomatic diseases, we intended to assess IAF contribution into mechanisms of individual emotional reactivity. Participants and methods. As participants was healthy man subjects (n=62). Three models of laboratory induced emotions were used: emotional perception (1); anxious apprehension (awaiting of inescapable aversive punishment) (2); experience of discrete emotions of anger and joy (3). Results. It was revealed that high IAF individuals exhibit predisposition to prevalence of parasympathetic activity in the global circuit of autonomous regulation, proactive-like coping with inescapable threat, prevailing contribution of the positive emotional stance and better accessibility of recent positive memories. By contrast, low IAF subjects manifested predisposition to prevalence of sympathetic activity in the global circuit of autonomous regulation, maladaptive avoidance-like coping with inescapable threat, insufficiency positive emotional arousal mechanisms. Conclusions. It is suggested that IAF creates a hardware" construct featuring individual emotional space and adaptability of coping styles to emotional challenges.