SYMMETRICAL AND ASYMMETRICAL CHANGES IN OXYGENATION AND HEMODYNAMICS OF BRAIN HEMISPHERES DUE TO COINCIDENTAL EMOTIONAL CONDITION

Eight normal volunteers (four right-handed men and two each left-hande d men and women) showed symmetrical and asymmetrical changes in oxygen ation and hemodynamics in the frontal lobes of the brain when monitore d by near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometry. The changes were related t o experiencing coincidental emotional conditions before or after a mir ror drawing task (MDT). There were three response patterns during emot ional unrest: a dominant hemisphere response pattern, a nondominant he misphere response pattern, and a bilateral response pattern. The first and third were very similar to the patterns during MDTs observed prev iously in normal volunteers, The changes in oxygenation and hemodynami cs of the brain in response to tension related to a definite matter ma y differ from the changes caused by vague tension.