Author/Authors :
Lochte, Bryson C. Center for Cognitive Neuroscience - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences - Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA , Guillory, Sean A Center for Cognitive Neuroscience - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences - Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA , Kelley, William M. Center for Cognitive Neuroscience - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences - Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA , Richard, Craig A. H. Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences - Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy - Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA, USA
Abstract :
Introduction: The “autonomous sensory meridian response” (ASMR) is a neologism used to describe an internal sensation of deep relaxation and pleasant head tingling which is often stimulated by gentle sounds, light touch, and personal attention.
Methods: An fMRI-based methodology was employed to examine the brain activation of subjects prescreened for ASMR-receptivity (n=10) as they watched ASMR videos and identified specific moments of relaxation and tingling. Results: Subjects who experienced ASMR showed significant activation in regions associated with both reward (NAcc) and emotional arousal (dACC and Insula/IFG). Brain activation during ASMR showed similarities to patterns previously observed in musical frisson as well as affiliative behaviors. Conclusion: This is the first study to measure the activation of various brain regions during ASMR and these results may help to reveal the mechanistic underpinnings of this sensation.
Keywords :
Autonomous sensory meridian response , ASMR , fMRI , Frisson , Whole brain imaging , ROI analysis
