EEG asymmetries, heart rate, and personality traits relations

Interhemispheric EEG-alpha amplitude asymmetries are normal in healthy subjects. These can be found at rest and during stimulation and task performance. Several studies have drawn the relationship between electric brain activity asymmetries, handness and cognitive styles. Mood and emotional states also were correlated. In this paper, it is presented a study about the relationship between personality factors, anxiety traits and EEGalpha asymmetries at rest conditions. Computerized EEG was registred in 55 normal subjects in individual sessions. Psychological evaluation included EPQ-R (Eysenck, 1977) and Anxiety Traits - State Inventories (Miguel Tobal & Cano Vindel, 1986. Spielberger, 1976). Significant correlations were found at 1 % level between alpha EEG power asymmetries, personality factors and anxiety traits. EEG and psychological indices correlated also with cardiovascular variables. These results suggest that tonic lateralized brain activation could be associated with coping styles.