Electrophysiologic responsivity (skin conductance and EEG) were monitored from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy during challenging procedures. There appeared to be greater frontal EEG activation, right more than left, during emotionally evocative stimulation and feedback about failing or passing and experimental test. Failure was more evocative to left, and passing was more evocative to right, brain injured patients. EEG recordings taken after intracarotid amytal injection showed frontal changes in patients who displayed emotional reactions. These data suggest that the euphoria and dysphoria following brain injury may reflect ipsilateral dysinhibition. This model posits that positive and negative emotions may be better modulated by left and right brain mechanisms, respectively.
