Analysis of the phenomenon of "attention shift" as a marker of psycho-emotional stress

Abstract

Compliance with the principles of mental health is a priority task in the education of children and adolescents. Researchers present the results of the analysis of psychophysiological studies, mostly by foreign authors, devoted to the problem of biomarkers of psycho-emotional stress (anxiety, aggression). The authors have considered the phenomenon of attention biases (attention shifts), as well as behavioral inhibition. We have analyzed the role of bioelectric asymmetry of the frontal areas of the brain, amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Scientists have shown the role of two basic motivational systems of approach/achievement ("approach system") and avoidance/withdrawal ("withdrawal system"). The use of adequate psychophysiological tests, such as: dot-probe tasks, attention shifting tasks, temporal order judgment tasks, visual search tasks allows you to best identify attention shifts and observe changes in the bioelectric activity of the brain. The asymmetry of the EEG of the frontal areas of the brain; the ratios of slow EEG waves to fast ones (theta / beta ratio; delta / beta ratio); changes in the parameters of the components of the evoked potentials P1, N1, N2 and late positive potential (LPP) with attention shifts you can consider as markers of psychoemotional tension. You can take into account the understanding of the mechanisms of shifting attention to threatening information in anxious children and adolescents in the prevention of mental health and to create corrective methods of training the system of attention to information with the opposite motivating value, allowing for adaptive behavior in the future.