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Advances in Understanding Fractals in Affective and Anxiety Disorders

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The Fractal Geometry of the Brain

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurobiology ((NEUROBIOL,volume 36))

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Abstract

In this chapter, we review the research that has applied fractal measures to the study of the most common psychological disorders, that is, affective and anxiety disorders. Early studies focused on heart rate, but diverse measures have also been examined, from variations in subjective mood, or hand movements, to electroencephalogram or magnetoencephalogram data. In general, abnormal fractal dynamics in different physiological and behavioural outcomes have been observed in mental disorders. Despite the disparity of variables measured, fractal analysis has shown high sensitivity in discriminating patients from healthy controls. However, and because of this heterogeneity in measures, the results are not straightforward, and more studies are needed in this promising line.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain

    Sergio Iglesias-Parro & Antonio José Ibáñez-Molina

  2. Department of Mental Health Service, Hospital San Agustín de Linares, Linares, Spain

    Maria Felipa Soriano

Authors
  1. Sergio Iglesias-Parro
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  2. Maria Felipa Soriano
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  3. Antonio José Ibáñez-Molina
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Correspondence to Sergio Iglesias-Parro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Computational NeuroSurgery (CNS) Lab & Macquarie Neurosurgery Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Human and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Antonio Di Ieva

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Iglesias-Parro, S., Soriano, M.F., Ibáñez-Molina, A.J. (2024). Advances in Understanding Fractals in Affective and Anxiety Disorders. In: Di Ieva, A. (eds) The Fractal Geometry of the Brain. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47606-8_36

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