EEG brain wave band differentiation during a eustress state of humor associated mirthful laughter compared to a distress state

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Abstract

Humor associated mirthful laughter, a novel eustress state, and a distress state differentially modulates neuroendocrine, immune, and psychological mood states. We used the 9 channel B‐Alert X10® EEG system with power spectral density (PSD), computed for left and right hemispheres, to determine if EEG metrics differentiated between a humor eustress state and a distress state. Eight video trial EEG sessions (states ‐ humor eustress vs. distress) were run on 2 individuals. Absolute PSD was used for the analysis of frontal theta (3–7Hz), alpha (8–12Hz), and beta (13–29Hz) of the left (F3) and right (F4) hemispheres. Using 10 sec epochs, ANOVA confirmed the humor state increased PSD across theta, p < .05; and alpha, p < .01. The opposite was true for beta where the eustress decreased PSD, p < .05. For differences between hemispheres, using 1‐way ANOVA, significant right‐left differences occurred across state for frontal theta, p < .05 and frontal alpha, p < .05. Significance was also found in the parietal for alpha, p < .05, but not for theta. PSD shows 1) both theta and alpha have greater left frontal (F3) EEG activity during the humor eustress state, which is associated with positive affect; and 2) right‐left hemispheric differentiation. In conclusion, PSDs computed for the left and right frontal hemispheres, using B‐Alert X10® EEG activity, differentiates a humor eustress state from a distress state.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalThe FASEB Journal
Volume26
Issue numberS1
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2012

Disciplines

  • Physiology

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