Frontal Cortical Arousal During Working Memory Performance in Trait ‎Anxiety

This study investigated the degree of cortical arousal of the forehead during working memory performance in personality dimension of anxiety. Based on Gray’s definition of personality dimension of anxiety, in a pseudo-empirical study a sample of female students (n=793) aged from 18 to 28 years old completed Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Carver and White’s Approach/Avoidance scale. 15 subjects whose scores were simultaneously in the upper distribution of Neuroticism and lower distribution of Extraversion (N+E-) were selected as high trait anxiety group (Anx+), and low trait anxiety group (Anx-) consisted of 15 subjects with higher scores of Extraversion and lower scores of Neuroticism (N-E+). Then their EEG was taken in baseline mode and while performing working memory task. Total scores in 1-back working memory task were taken as the indicator of working memory performance and EEG alpha oscillation during 1-back task was taken as cortical arousal index. Data were analyzed using T-test for independent samples. Results revealed that high trait anxious subjects showed more arousability in their right and left cortex of forehead during working memory performance, while their performance in working memory tasks was impaired in comparison with low trait anxious group. These Results supported Processing Efficiency Theory, which means although high trait anxious individuals employed higher mental effort during executive functions, their processing efficiency was impaired.