Correlation between asymmetry of spontaneous oscillation of hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex and anxiety levels: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

According to the valence asymmetry hypothesis, the left/right asymmetry of prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity is correlated with specific emotional responses to mental stress and personality traits. Here, we evaluated the relation between emotional state and asymmetry in PFC activity at rest by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We measured spontaneous oscillation of oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations in the bilateral PFC at rest in normal adults employing two-channel NIRS.

New method of analyzing NIRS data from prefrontal cortex at rest.

The aim of this study was to develop a simple technique for objective assessment of mental stress levels by measuring hemoglobin concentration changes in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) at rest, employing two-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Each subject was instructed to think about nothing in particular for 3 min and then to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test. Next, NIRS measurements were taken and the left/right asymmetry of PFC activity at rest was evaluated by calculating the proposed Laterality Index at Rest (LIR).

Bayesian STAI anxiety index predictions based on prefrontal cortex NIRS data for the resting state.

Several distinctive activity patterns have been observed in the brain at rest. The aim of this study was to determine whether the STAI index can be predicted from changes in the oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations by using two-channel prefrontal cortex (PFC) NIRS data for the resting state. The study population comprised 19 subjects.