Linking amygdala blood oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) activity and frontal EEG in depression

Abstract Interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala during emotion regulation make it possible to link blood oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) activity of the amygdala and EEG activity measured over the cortex. Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) with simultaneous EEG is a promising neuromodulation approach that allows volitional regulation of the amygdala BOLD activity and investigation of related electrophysiological processes. In this chapter, we review relevant concepts and neuroimaging findings regarding emotion regulation and motivation in depression. We summarize results of our recent study that investigated connections between BOLD activity of the amygdala and frontal EEG during rtfMRI-nf training of emotion self-regulation in patients with major depressive disorder. The study revealed both temporal and mean-value correlations between the amygdala BOLD activity and variations in frontal alpha EEG asymmetry (FAA). It also demonstrated significant associations between mean FAA changes and depression severity. We discuss implications of these results for understanding emotion regulation mechanisms in depression.