Lateral brain function in normal and disordered emotion: interpreting electroencephalographic evidence

Given the developing awareness of the lateral specialization of the human brain for both cognitive and emotional processes, the recent findings of characteristic hemispheric asymmetries in psychopathological groups suggests a neuropsychological model may be explanatory for abnormal psychology. Since the activity of arousal systems of the brain is a primary issue in interpreting both biochemical abnormalities and thought disorders in psychopathology, electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of cortical arousal are relevant. A better understanding of the relation of EEG measures to normal emotional arousal and cognitive effort may facilitate interpretation of the functional significance of EEG asymmetries in psychopathology.