Right frontal anxiolytic-sensitive EEG 'theta' rhythm in the stop-signal task is a theory-based anxiety disorder biomarker.

ABSTRACT: Psychiatric diagnoses currently rely on a patient's presenting symptoms or signs, lacking much-needed theory-based biomarkers. Our neuropsychological theory of anxiety, recently supported by human imaging, is founded on a longstanding, reliable, rodent 'theta' brain rhythm model of human clinical anxiolytic drug action. We have now developed a human scalp EEG homolog-goal-conflict-specific rhythmicity (GCSR), i.e., EEG rhythmicity specific to a balanced conflict between goals (e.g., approach-avoidance). Critically, GCSR is consistently reduced by different classes of anxiolytic drug and correlates with clinically-relevant trait anxiety scores (STAI-T). Here we show elevated GCSR in student volunteers divided, after testing, on their STAI-T scores into low, medium, and high (typical of clin

SUBMITTER: Shadli SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8492763 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature