Spectral power and functional connectivity of resting EEG in people exposed to armed conflict and controls
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Exposure to armed conflict can leave persistent effects on mental health, yet its neurophysiological correlates remain poorly characterized, particularly in populations exposed to prolonged violence outside narrowly defined post traumatic stress disorder samples. Here we examined resting state electroencephalographic activity in 122 Colombian adults, including 74 participants exposed to armed conflict and 48 controls. Eyes closed EEG was analysed for 240 seconds per participant. We quantified absolute and relative spectral power across delta, theta, alpha and beta bands and regional functional connectivity using weighted phase lag index in theta, alpha and beta. Group comparisons were adjusted for age, education, sex and assessment year, with correction across 78 EEG contrasts. Median occipital and global alpha power was lower in exposed participants, although adjusted estimates were close to the null and confidence intervals were broad. Temporal theta relative power was lower in exposed participants at nominal significance; the contrast did not retain statistical significance after Holm correction. No spectral power or regional connectivity contrast met the adjusted significance threshold. Exploratory associations between EEG measures and MoCA performance were modest among participants without scoring flags. These findings characterize resting EEG in a population shaped by prolonged violence and displacement. The confidence intervals leave the magnitude and direction of several group differences uncertain, while the observed alpha and theta patterns identify questions for larger studies integrating more detailed exposure and cognitive measures.
Source: medRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222967769