Is distress tolerance an approach behavior? An examination of frontal alpha asymmetry and distress tolerance in adolescents

Alissa J Ellis; Giulia Salgari; David Miklowitz; Sandra K Loo

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.05.083

Is distress tolerance an approach behavior? An examination of frontal alpha asymmetry and distress tolerance in adolescents

Psychiatry Res. 2018 Sep:267:210-214. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.05.083. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

Authors

Alissa J Ellis¹, Giulia Salgari², David Miklowitz², Sandra K Loo²

Affiliations

¹ Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: aellis@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 29933213
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.05.083

Abstract

Frontal EEG asymmetry, relatively greater left-than-right frontal activity (rLFA), has been associated with mood symptoms and approach versus withdrawal behaviors. Distress tolerance (DT), a transdiagnostic behavior, has yet to be examined as an approach behavior using rLFA. Adolescents (N = 20; M age = 14.53, SD = 2.09) completed a frustrating mirror-tracing task which provided an index of DT. Higher resting rLFA was associated with lower DT. The results are the first to identify a relationship between cortical activation and distress tolerance in adolescents. rLFA appears to be a neurophysiological index of behaviors associated with approach motivation and escape from punishment or aversive situations.

Keywords: Distress tolerance; EEG; Frontal asymmetry; Mood.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological / physiology*
Adolescent
Alpha Rhythm / physiology*
Arousal / physiology
Avoidance Learning / physiology
Choice Behavior / physiology*
Dominance, Cerebral / physiology*
Electroencephalography
Escape Reaction / physiology
Female
Frontal Lobe / physiopathology*
Humans
Male
Motivation / physiology
Punishment / psychology
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*
Stress, Psychological / psychology