Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to elucidate relationships between dysregulated emotional arousal after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), alpha power and skin conductance levels (SCL), and brain atrophy.
METHODS: Nineteen adults with severe TBI and 19 age-, education-, and gender-matched controls (all p's>0.05) participated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan established bilateral insulae and amygdale volumes. Mean EEG alpha power and SCLs were recorded simultaneously across four, 2 min conditions: eyes-closed pre-task baseline, view neutral face, happy face and angry face.
RESULTS: Scalp-wide alpha suppression occurred from pre-task baseline to the face-viewing conditions (p<.001), but was diminished in TBI (p=.04). TBI participants exhibited marginally significantly lower SCL (p=.051), and elevated alpha power hemispherically, contrasting with controls' midline dominance (p<.01). Significant atrophy was observed in most structures in TBI participants (p's=.004-0.04). Larger left insula, left amygdala and right amygdala correlated positively with alpha power and alpha suppression, and SCLs; all structures uniquely contributed to variance in arousal.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that alpha power provides a sensitive measure of dysregulated emotional arousal post-TBI. Atrophy in pertinent brain structures may contribute to these disturbances.
SIGNIFICANCE: These findings have potential implications for the assessment and remediation of TBI-related arousal deficits, by directing more targeted remediation, and better assessing post-TBI recovery.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 314-324 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Clinical Neurophysiology |
Volume | 126 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Amygdala
- EEG alpha power
- Emotional arousal
- Insula
- Severe traumatic brain injury
- Skin conductance level