Swart, Thomas R.Banissy, Michael J.Hein, Thomas P.Bruña Fernández, RicardoPereda, ErnestoBhattacharya, Joydeep2024-02-082024-02-082022-04Swart TR, Banissy MJ, Hein TP, Bruña R, Pereda E, Bhattacharya J. ASMR amplifies low frequency and reduces high frequency oscillations. Cortex. 2022 Apr;149:85-100. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.01.004. Epub 2022 Feb 2. PMID: 35189396.0010-945210.1016/j.cortex.2022.01.004https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/100310Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) describes an atypical multisensory experience of calming, tingling sensations in response to a specific subset of social audiovisual triggers. To date, the electrophysiological (EEG) correlates of ASMR remain largely unexplored. Here we sought to provide source-level signatures of oscillatory changes induced by this phenomenon and investigate potential decay effects-oscillatory changes in the absence of self-reported ASMR. We recorded brain activity using EEG as participants watched ASMR-inducing videos and self-reported changes in their state: no change (Baseline); enhanced relaxation (Relaxed); and ASMR sensations (ASMR). Statistical tests in the sensor-space were used to inform contrasts in the source-space, executed with beamformer reconstruction. ASMR modulated oscillatory power by decreasing high gamma (52-80 Hz) relative to Relaxed and by increasing alpha (8-13 Hz) and decreasing delta (1-4 Hz) relative to Baseline. At the source level, ASMR increased power in the low-mid frequency ranges (8-18 Hz) and decreased power in high frequency (21-80 Hz). ASMR decay effects reduced gamma (30-80 Hz) and in the source-space reduced high-beta/gamma power (21-80 Hz). The temporal profile of ASMR modulations in high-frequency power later shifts to lower frequencies (1-8 Hz), except for an enhanced alpha, which persists for up to 45 min post self-reported ASMR. Crucially, these results provide the first evidence that the cortical sources of ASMR tingling sensations may arise from decreases in higher frequency oscillations and that ASMR may induce a sustained relaxation state.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal article1973-8102https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001094522200011935189396https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35189396/open access612.8Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)BeamformerEEGSource reconstructionNeurociencias (Medicina)2490 Neurociencias