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A review of neurophysiological and genetic correlates of emotional intelligence
The article is an overview of modern studies of brain organization
and genetic correlates of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is
becoming the subject of more and more attentive study of psychologists
due to the fact that it influences the mental development of humans, plays
an important role in many professions, and its impairment is a marker of
some disorders. Nevertheless, the brain organization and genetic correlates
of emotional intelligence have not been studied enough – first studies
appeared only in the early 2000s. A review of the literature on the enceph-
alographic showed that in rest, people with higher emotional intelligence
show greater excitation of the left anterior regions of the brain. When per-
ceiving affective stimuli, participants with high emotional intelligence show
stronger synchronization of some EEG rhythms. Brain mapping technique
made it possible to identify the areas of the brain involved in activities
related to emotional intelligence. In regard to genetic correlates of emotional
intelligence, some genes of neurotransmitter systems have been associated
to this trait: the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene COMT, the dopamine
DRD2 receptor gene, the serotonin receptor gene HTR2A, and the BDNF
brain neurotrophic factor gene.