Alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 29; no. 2; p. 79
• Main Authors: Ward, Richard T, Smith, Shelby L, Kraus, Brian T, Allen, Anna V, Moses, Michael A, Simon-Dack, Stephanie L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 17.01.2018
• Subjects: Alpha Rhythm; Anxiety - physiopathology; Anxiety - psychology; Attention - physiology; Brain - physiology; Electroencephalography; Executive Function - physiology; Female; Humans; Inhibition, Psychological; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Personality - physiology; Personality Tests; Rest; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000915

Trait anxiety has been shown to cause significant impairments on attentional tasks. Current research has identified alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals. Here, we further investigated the underlying alpha band frequency differences between low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals during their resting state and the completion of an inhibition executive functioning task. Using human participants and quantitative electroencephalographic recordings, we measured alpha band frequency in individuals both high and low in trait anxiety during their resting state, and while they completed an Eriksen Flanker Task. Results indicated that high-trait anxious individuals exhibit a desynchronization in alpha band frequency from a resting state to when they complete the Eriksen Flanker Task. This suggests that high-trait anxious individuals maintain fewer attentional resources at rest and must martial resources for task performance as compared with low-trait anxious individuals, who appear to maintain stable cognitive resources between rest and task performance. These findings add to the cognitive neuroscience literature surrounding the role of alpha band frequency in low-trait and high-trait anxious individuals.