Brain Oscillations Evoked by the Face of a Loved Person

Abstract

Previous studies have shown a close interrelation between emotional processing and memory processes using facial stimuli and applying the concept of oscillatory brain dynamics. Amending prior findings the influence of neural correlates related to the emotional state termed "romantic love" was investigated. Specifically, the effect of feelings of love on face perception was of interest. Pictures of a "loved person" were presented to female subjects and the elicited responses were compared with responses to pictures showing faces of a "known and appreciated person" or an "unknown person" during EEG recordings (n=20 females). As a control condition light stimulation was employed. The sequence of faces shown was presented in random and block-design. EEG data was analyzed considering maximum amplitudes and topographical differences within the conventional frequency bands of delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma. Differences between light and face stimuli were found in the delta and theta bands and differences between the face types and the two designs were found in the delta band. The delta response to the picture of the "loved person" showed significantly higher amplitude values, not only in comparison with the "unknown person", but also with the picture of the "appreciated person". Frontal lobes appear to react to different types of facial stimuli with specific increases in delta responses. The difference between the response to the "loved person" and of the "known and appreciated person" reflects the component of the emotion denoted as love. The findings and their interpretations are discussed within the framework of event-related oscillations and complex stimulus processing emphasizing the concept of dynamic localization. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.