<p dir="ltr">Abstract: Atypical frontal alpha asymmetry is the difference in EEG-measured alpha-band power between right and left hemispheres, and patterns of lateralization are thought to reflect motivational direction (approach/withdrawal) and affective processing. Increased rightward frontal alpha asymmetry is associated with tendency toward approach-related behavior often displayed in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though findings have been inconsistent. While differences in results may be partially accounted for by within-diagnosis heterogeneity, growing evidence suggests individual response tendency and emotional salience of a situation may influence one another. Investigating the potential interactions between trait and state measured variables may therefore clarify lateralization patterns in ADHD. The current study measured frontal alpha asymmetry in a well-characterized sample of school-aged children with and without ADHD. EEG during standard resting-state and emotional passive-viewing tasks were recorded from 220 children (nADHD = 97). A semi-structured clinical interview and standardized rating scales were collected to assign DSM-5 diagnoses and temperament group belonging. Parent measures included the behaviorally-rated Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ). Latent profile analysis within the ADHD group revealed two temperament subgroups: emotionally regulated and emotionally dysregulated (high anger and sadness). EEG assessment suggests children broadly produced a more rightward asymmetry while in resting state compared to a task-based condition, though show no notable differences between neutral and negative emotional task conditions. ADHD diagnostic status, temperament group, and sex assigned at birth did not impact patterns of asymmetry. Results emphasize measurement differences in frontal alpha asymmetry between lab-based tasks and further highlight the importance of state influences on alpha lateralization.</p>

<p> Although interest in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) from researchers and consumers continues to increase, many BCIs lack the complexity and imaginative properties thought to guide users towards successful brain activity modulation. In this research, an experimental story brain-computer interface (ES-BCI) was developed, with which users could interact using cognitive strategies; specifically, thinking about the story and engaging with the main character of the story through their thought processes. In this system, the user’s frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) measured with electroencephalography (EEG) was linearly mapped to the color saturation of the main character in the story. Therefore, the color saturation of the main character increased as FAA recorded from the participant’s brain activity increased above the FAA threshold required to receive visual feedback. A user-friendly experimental design was implemented using a comfortable EEG device and short neurofeedback (NF) training protocol. Eight distinct story scenes, each with a View and Engage NF component were created, and are referred to as blocks. In this system, seven out of 19 participants successfully increased FAA during the course of the study, for a total of ten successful blocks out of 152. Results concerning left (Lact) and right (Ract) prefrontal cortical activity contributions to FAA in both successful and unsuccessful blocks were examined to understand FAA measurements in greater detail. Additionally, electrodermal activity data (EDA) and self-reported questionnaire data were investigated to understand the user experience with this ES-BCI. Results suggest the potential of ES-BCI environments for engaging users and allowing for FAA modulation. New research directions for artistic BCIs investigating affect are discussed. </p>