RESTING EEG ASYMMETRY AND SPIDER PHOBIA

This study examined whether resting EEG asymmetries are related to sym ptom severity and treatment outcome in spider phobia. Prior to treatme nt, EEG was recorded in a sample of spider phobic patients (N = 16). C orrelations between frontal and parietal asymmetries in alpha power, o n the one hand, and pre- and post-treatment symptom measures, on the o ther hand, were then computed. Only relative right parietal hyperactiv ation was found to be related to higher pre-treatment spider phobia sc ores. No convincing correlations between EEG asymmetry and post-treatm ent outcome measures were found. The findings suggest that cognitive p rocesses mediated by the right hemisphere may modulate pre-treatment p hobic symptoms.