Resting state EEG delta–beta coherence in relation to anxiety, behavioral inhibition, and selective attentional processing of threatening stimuli

Variability in human resting state electroencephalography (EEG) may reflect emotion regulation processes (for a review, see Knyazev, 2007). For instance, it has been suggested that correlation between slow (1–3 Hz) and fast (13–30 Hz) activity (or δ–β coherence) may reflect functional synchronization between limbic and cortical brain systems. Indirect support comes from several studies reporting relationships between δ–β coherence and subjectively reported behavioral inhibition and state anxiety. The present study sought to extend this work and tested the prediction that objectively, experimentally, measured threat-selective attention should also be related to δ–β coherence. EEG frequency band power and dot probe task performance were assessed in forty healthy women and results demonstrated a negative association between delta–beta coherence and automatic, anxiety-driven attentional avoidance of threatening pictorial stimuli. These first reported objective measures for cognitive-emotional behavior obtained in relation to delta–beta coherence provide additional support for the hypothesis that this EEG parameter may reflect emotion regulation processes and supports suggestions that δ–β coherence may be a useful tool in the experimental study of affect and psychopathology. In addition, results showed an unexpected negative association between δ–β coherence and self-reported trait anxiety (but no association with behavioral inhibition).

Research Highlights
► EEG δ-β coherence may reflect cortical-subcortical affect regulatory processes.
► Relation with objectively measured emotional-cognitive behavior was still unknown.
► Here δ-β coherence was related to trait anxiety and attentional threat-avoidance.
► Δ-β coherence seems useful for experimental study of affective processes.