Interaction of personality and intelligence factors in cortex activity modulation

Abstract

Abstract The relationships between EEG measures (power and coherence in six frequency bands) and personality (extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, sensation, thinking, judging) and intelligence (verbal, numerical and figural IQ) scores were studied in 46 males (17–19 years of age). The correlations between the resting EEG spectral parameter and personality scores reveal the distinctly different profiles of cortex area connectivity which accompany personality traits in the theta1,2 and beta2 bands mostly. More significant changes in power and coherence were associated with the sensation–intuition scores. High IQ groups are characterised by an increase of power in the right hemisphere, and low IQ groups have an opposite effect of the left hemisphere dominance; a power of the theta1,2 and alpha1-rhythms is less while beta2—greater in groups with high IQ rather than low IQ; the groups with high IQ as compared with low IQ groups have higher interhemispheric coherence. General effects of an interaction between personality and intelligence factors are: (i) the most part of the personality associated differences of cortex activity is observed in high IQ groups; (ii) mostly three considered psychological characteristics (extraversion, neuroticism, sensation) by various means modulate an oscillations of neuronal networks relating to intelligence score. The results suggest that EEG spectral parameters in rest might reflect the relationships between neuronal integration and personality/intelligence factors. The significance of these results is discussed with reference to the hemispheric interactions in arousal and attentional processes.