Effects of motor activity versus cognitive demand on asymmetries in EEG frequency bands and their relation to handedness.

INTRODUCTION

Electroencephalography (EEG) is commonly used in neuroscience to study cognitive and emotional processes, often showing functional lateralization. Alpha asymmetries are frequently interpreted as a reverse marker of functional asymmetries in cognitive activation. However, the role of motor activity versus cognitive demands in driving EEG asymmetries remains unclear.

METHODS

To explore this, we analyzed resting-state and task-based EEG asymmetry from 610 healthy adults (ages 20-70) from the Dortmund Vital Study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05155397). Participants completed three tasks with increasing hand involvement and cognitive demands: Psychomotor Vigilance, Simon, and Stroop tasks.

RESULTS

Timepoint (pre-stimulus vs. post-stimulus vs. resting-state) had the strongest impact, especially in the alpha and theta bands, with notable differences between resting-state and task-related asymmetries. Non-right-handers exhibited more dynamic shifts in asymmetry, while right-handers showed more stable lateralization patterns. Correlations between frequency bands, electrode pairs, and tasks revealed strong interhemispheric coupling in frontal and weaker coupling in central regions. Frontal post-stimulus asymmetry correlated more strongly than resting-state or pre-stimulus.

DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that EEG asymmetry is a dynamic process influenced by cognitive and/or motor activity and perceptual processes mediated by frontoparietal circuits, with implications for interpreting EEG biomarkers in both research and clinical settings. This study offers reference standards in EEG asymmetry research.