Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Vol 35, No 1: July 2024

Biomarkers of attention bias during public speaking anxiety

Akmal Razak (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka)
Farah Shahnaz Feroz (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka)
Siva Kumar Subramaniam (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka)
Faaizah Shahbodin (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka)
Sujatha Rajkumar (Vellore Institute of Technology)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Jul 2024

Abstract

The analysis of brain signals and their properties yields significant insights into the fundamental neural impairments associated with attention bias in individuals suffering from public speaking anxiety (PSA). This study aims to identify electroencephalogram (EEG) and performance biomarkers of attention bias in individuals with public speaking anxiety using the ex-Gaussian modeling technique, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and delta-beta correlation (DBC). 12 subjects with high (H) PSA and 12 subjects with low (L) PSA performed the modified emotional stroop task. EEG data were captured using the low-cost 14-channel emotiv Epoc+. Results showed that the ex-Gaussian sigma was higher in the emotional condition in the high public speaking anxiety (HPSA) group, indicating attention bias. The study also found higher right FAA in HPSA compared to LPSA group. There was a negative correlation between σ and alpha power in the left region of the brain in the HPSA group, potentially related to attentional bias. Moreover, there was a notable trend towards significantly heightened DBC in the frontal and central regions of the brain among HPSA subjects. In conclusion, in biomedical engineering, the ex-Gaussian model, FAA and DBC are useful because they can identify EEG and performance biomarkers of attention bias in people with PSA.

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