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Dissertation
Asymmetric brain activation: relation to binge eating in overweight subjects
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2006
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-1113
Abstract
Right-sided frontal asymmetry has been related to negative affect and an "avoidant" personality type. Research has demonstrated a relationship between right-sided frontal asymmetry and restrained eating in normal weight individuals. It has previously been shown that normal weight restrained eaters display similar frequencies of negative affect and patterns of eating as overweight binge eaters. This study tested the hypothesis that overweight individuals high in binge eating would exhibit greater right-sided frontal asymmetry than would overweight individuals low in binge eating. 30 overweight participants were recruited from a weight maintenance, or binge eating, study. Participants were assessed using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Power of Food Scale (PFS) and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Asymmetrical brain activation in the frontal and parietal cortices was assessed using resting electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. Participants were grouped according to BES scores (low binge vs. high binge). ANOVAs were used to examine group differences in asymmetry by region (frontal vs. parietal) with and without controlling for state affect. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationships between all self-report measures and asymmetrical activation. Results did not support the main hypothesis, indicating that binge eating was not related to asymmetry in this sample. High bingers scored significantly higher in MASQ Anxious Arousal, however, state affect was not related to asymmetry. Post hoc analyses revealed that PFS scores were negatively correlated with positive affect, positively correlated with left-sided frontal asymmetry, and positively correlated with right-sided parietal asymmetry. An inverse correlation was also found between frontal and parietal asymmetry. Post hoc results encourage further investigation into the affect model of frontal asymmetry. It is suggested that the BIS-BAS model of asymmetry may better account for frontal asymmetry results, however data collected in this study did not allow for an evaluation of construct validity of differing theories. Future research is needed to unify asymmetrical activation models and further explore relationships between appetitive responsiveness, frontal asymmetry, and parietal asymmetry.
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Details
- Title
- Asymmetric brain activation
- Creators
- Christopher N. Ochner - DU
- Contributors
- Michael R. Lowe (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 1113; 991014632510804721