Alpha band prefrontal asymmetry does not underlie pain approach-avoidance: Results from two EEG studies

Author

Tracy W. Brown, Tarleton State University, University of Texas at Dallas (current location)Follow
Kayli N. Colpitts, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M Institute of Neuroscience (current location)Follow
Cristian M. Botello, Tarleton State University, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (current location)Follow
Abby K. Hartman, Tarleton State University
Kathryn P. Seymour, Tarleton State UniversityFollow
Callie De La Cerda, Tarleton State University, University of Texas at Dallas (current location)Follow
Amber L. Harris Bozer, Tarleton State UniversityFollow

Volume

29

Number

1

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2023

Abstract

Pain research is often focused on escape from pain or approach of relief, yet individuals with chronic pain make complex choices to face their pain to satiate other drives (approach-avoidance conflicts). An abundance of research has indicated that prefrontal alpha band asymmetry (PFA) underlies approach-avoidance in general, but there is limited information about whether PFA underlies pain approach-avoidance conflicts. Electroencephalogram activity was recorded while 70 participants with chronic pain (n=33) and without chronic pain (n=37) approached/avoided stimuli containing simultaneous pain (low-high) and monetary reward (low-high). Findings from both studies revealed that approach-avoidance for pain stimuli is not accompanied by prefrontal asymmetry, irrespective of the presence of chronic pain.

Keyword

pain; chronic pain; EEG; prefrontal asymmetry; pain avoidance; alpha band

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Brown, Tracy W.; Colpitts, Kayli N.; Botello, Cristian M.; Hartman, Abby K.; Seymour, Kathryn P.; De La Cerda, Callie; and Harris Bozer, Amber L. (2023) "Alpha band prefrontal asymmetry does not underlie pain approach-avoidance: Results from two EEG studies," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 29: No. 1, Article 22.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol29/iss1/22