FRONTAL BRAIN ASYMMETRY AND DEPRESSION - A SELF-REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE

Recent findings indicate that frontal brain asymmetry may be a marker of risk for depression. However, the psychological predispositions tha t account for the linkage between frontal brain asymmetry and depressi on are unclear. The approach-withdrawal hypothesis is the primary fram ework that has been offered to account for the linkages between fronta l brain asymmetry and emotion or emotional disorders. We review eviden ce consistent with this hypothesis and suggest several directions for its extension. One such direction is to constrain the approach-withdra wal hypothesis by linking frontal brain asymmetry to the known functio ns of the prefrontal cortex. On this basis, we propose that frontal br ain asymmetry may be preferentially linked to regulatory processes tha t promote the temporal continuity and shifting of motivational or emot ional priorities and the suppression of interference by competing sour ces of motivation or emotion. We review evidence from psychosocial and neurobiological studies of depression that is broadly consistent with these predictions. We emphasise the need for future studies directly testing our hypotheses.