Aberrant EEG functional connectivity and EEG power spectra in resting state post-traumatic stress disorder: A sLORETA study

• We investigate EEG power spectra and EEG connectivity in PTSD during resting state.
• PTSD patients showed an increase of theta power in parietal and frontal lobes.
• PTSD patients showed an increase of alpha connectivity between left parietal lobe.
• This pattern could reflect the alteration of memory systems and emotional processing.

The aim of the present study was to explore the modifications of EEG power spectra and EEG connectivity of resting state (RS) condition in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seventeen patients and seventeen healthy subjects matched for age and gender were enrolled. EEG was recorded during 5 min of RS. EEG analysis was conducted by means of the standardized Low Resolution Electric Tomography software (sLORETA). In power spectra analysis PTSD patients showed a widespread increase of theta activity (4.5–7.5 Hz) in parietal lobes (Brodmann Area, BA 7, 4, 5, 40) and in frontal lobes (BA 6). In the connectivity analysis PTSD patients also showed increase of alpha connectivity (8–12.5 Hz) between the cortical areas explored by Pz-P4 electrode. Our results could reflect the alteration of memory systems and emotional processing consistently altered in PTSD patients.