Anterior electroencephalographic asymmetry changes in elderly women in response to a pleasant and an unpleasant odor

Greater left than right frontal EEG activation has been associated with increased positive and/or decreased negative affect, whereas greater right than left frontal activation has been associated with the opposite pattern. Substantial research has documented the trait properties of asymmetry, as wel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychology 2000-04, Vol.52 (3), p.241-250
Main Authors: Kline, John P, Blackhart, Ginette C, Woodward, Kathrane M, Williams, Sherry R, Schwartz, Gary E.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affect
Age Factors
Aged
Anterior asymmetry
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
EEG
Electroencephalogram
Electroencephalography
Electrophysiology
Emotion
Female
Frontal Lobe - physiology
Functional Laterality
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Middle Aged
Odorants
Olfaction
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Smell - physiology
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Summary:Greater left than right frontal EEG activation has been associated with increased positive and/or decreased negative affect, whereas greater right than left frontal activation has been associated with the opposite pattern. Substantial research has documented the trait properties of asymmetry, as well as responses to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli. The present study examined changes in anterior alpha asymmetries in response to pleasant (vanilla), unpleasant (valerian), and neutral (water) odors. As predicted, vanilla produced relative left frontal activation compared to valerian and water. Frontal asymmetry did not differ in response to valerian compared to water. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the left frontal region of the brain is involved in positive/approach-related emotion, and extend previous results into the olfactory realm.
ISSN:0301-0511
1873-6246
DOI:10.1016/S0301-0511(99)00046-0