@article{ref1,
title="Neurophysiological correlates of dysregulated emotional arousal in severe traumatic brain injury",
journal="Clinical neurophysiology",
year="2014",
author="Piguet, Olivier and Parks, Nicklas and McDonald, Skye and Rushby, Jacqueline A. and Fisher, Alana C.",
volume="126",
number="2",
pages="314-324",
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. <br><br>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, 2min conditions: eyes-closed pre-task baseline, view neutral face, happy face and angry face. <br><br>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. <br><br>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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1388-2457",
doi="10.1016/j.clinph.2014.05.033",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2014.05.033"
}