Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a major global issue. Their diagnosis is based on symptom list, not biological causes, resulting in poor treatment outcomes. We previously developed an EEG biomarker, right frontal Goal Conflict Specific Rhythmicity (GCSR; 4-12Hz) based on our long-standing detailed neuropsychological theory of anxiety processes. GCSR is reduced by all types of selective anxiolytic and appears high cases across a range of currently diagnosed anxiety disorders. Here we assessed the areas of frontal cortex activated by GCSR. Scalp EEG was obtained with either low-density (Experiment 1, 32 channels, University of Otago, ♀:33, ♂:16) or high density (Experiment 2, 128 channels, University of Auckland, ♀:10, ♂:8) recording while healthy participants performed a Stop Signal Task designed to specifically assess GCSR as previously. sLORETA demonstrated sources consistently in the right inferior frontal gyrus and, more strongly but slightly less consistently, medial frontal gyrus. There were a few left frontal activations. As with previous work with the same Stop Signal Task, we show that a range of different neural networks can be engaged both within and between experiments to generate GCSR; with the most consistently activated being the right inferior frontal gyrus and then the medial frontal gyrus. [196 / 200]