UDC

(612.8:612.67+159.91)–053.91

Authors

Dzhos Yuliya Sergeevna
Institute of Medical and Biological Research, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
Deryabina Irina Nikolaevna
Institute of Medical and Biological Research, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
Emelyanova Tatyana Valeryevna
Institute of Medical and Biological Research, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
Biryukov Ivan Sergeevich
Institute of Medical and Biological Research, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)

Abstract

Anxiety is a harbinger of some mental and somatic diseases; that is why it has to be diagnosed at early stages, before the first symptoms of an illness occur. The paper presents a comparative analysis of brain bioelectrical activity spectral power in 51 women aged 60 to 75 years with high and normal levels of trait anxiety. To assess the level and structure of trait anxiety we applied an integrative anxiety test which helped us estimate emotional discomfort, asthenic and phobic components, anxious assessment of prospects, and social defense reactions. Brain bioelectric activity was recorded using the 128-channel GES-300 system (USA) with a GSN helmet. We used 16 standard leads for the analysis. Spectral power was calculated for all frequency ranges. According to the results, high anxiety level in 80 % of the women was caused by the asthenic component while in 57 % – by an increased emotional discomfort, which is manifested in emotional disorders, somnopathy and undue fatigability. According to EEG at rest, elderly women with high level of trait anxiety had increased spectral power at almost all EEG frequencies in frontal areas of both hemispheres, which can be associated with greater activation of these areas. The revealed dextrocerebral asymmetry of low-frequency alpha and beta-1 ranges supports the conclusion that women with high level of trait anxiety are highly emotional.

Keywords

anxiety, EEG, old age, women

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