Affective pictures processing is reflected by an increased long-distance EEG connectivity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Event-related EEG coherence is crucial for analyzing functional connectivity in affective picture processing.
• Previous research has explored EEG-based analysis of emotional stimuli, but long-range connectivity differences and gender variations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate long-range EEG coherence changes during the perception of different affective pictures (unpleasant, pleasant, neutral).
• To analyze gender differences in these long-range connected neural networks.
• To explore the relationship between emotional valence/arousal and brain activity.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 32 locations in 28 healthy participants (14 female).
• Participants passively viewed standardized emotional picture sets (IAPS).
• Long-distance intra-hemispheric event-related coherence was analyzed in delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands across specific electrode pairs (e.g., F3-T7, F4-T8).

Main Results:

• Unpleasant pictures significantly increased delta coherence compared to neutral pictures across fronto-parietal, fronto-occipital, and centro-occipital regions.
• Unpleasant pictures also elicited higher theta coherence than both pleasant and neutral pictures.
• Female subjects exhibited higher delta and theta coherence than male subjects, especially for emotional stimuli, indicating greater brain connectivity.

Conclusions:

• Emotional picture perception, particularly unpleasant stimuli, enhances long-range EEG coherence, suggesting increased functional brain network activation.
• Gender differences exist in neural processing of emotional stimuli, with females demonstrating heightened connectivity.
• Increased emotional valence and arousal appear to drive greater brain activity and functional network engagement.