Spontaneous EEG theta/beta ratio and delta-beta coupling in relation to attentional network functioning and self-reported attentional control.

Relationships between electroencephalographic (EEG) slow- and fast-wave frequency bands are considered to be of interest in the study of dispositional affective traits, emotion regulation, and attentional phenomena. However, to date, no previous studies had explored whether both state performance-based and self-reported attentional control (AC) measures potentially relate to different patterns of spontaneous EEG measures, in the absence of emotional stimuli. In the present study, individual differences in spontaneous EEG theta/beta ratio and delta-beta coupling at frontal and parietal sites were explored in a sample of 110 healthy volunteers as potential correlates of individual differences in performance-based attentional network functioning, as measured through the Attentional Network Test for Interactions (ANT-I) and self-reported AC. We found that stronger delta-beta coupling at parietal sites was associated with higher self-reported AC. However, no significant associations were found between executive control network functioning and the EEG ratio or coupling measures. Furthermore, a lower spontaneous fronto-parietal theta/beta ratio was found to be associated with better orienting network functioning. These results are discussed with a focus on the potential utility of spontaneous EEG measures in several cortical regions for capturing trait-like individual differences in temperament-related factors.

Spontaneous EEG activity and spontaneous emotion regulation.

Variability in both frontal and parietal spontaneous EEG activity, using α and ß band power and θ/ß and δ/ß ratios, was explored in a sample of 96 healthy volunteers as a potential correlate of individual differences in spontaneous emotion regulation (SER). Following a baseline EEG recording, participants were asked to continuously rate their discomfort while looking at affective pictures, as well as for a period of time after exposure. Greater spontaneous ß band power in parietal locations, lower frontal and parietal δ/ß ratios, and lower parietal θ/ß ratio were associated with lower ratings of discomfort after the offset of unpleasant pictures. Moreover, lower parietal δ/ß ratio was also related to less time needed to recover from discomfort after exposure to aversive pictures, while only a greater frontal and parietal α band power appeared to be associated with faster recovery from discomfort induced by normative-neutral pictures. However, parietal δ/ß ratio was the only predictor of both minimum discomfort ratings and time needed to downregulate following exposure to unpleasant pictures, and frontal α band power the only spontaneous EEG index that predicted variability in spontaneous down-regulation after the exposure to normative-neutral pictures. Results are discussed focusing on the utility of diverse spontaneous EEG measures in several cortical regions when capturing trait-like individual differences in emotion regulation capabilities and processes.