Critchley Hugo D, Melmed Raphael N, Featherstone Eric, Mathias Christopher J, Dolan Raymond J
Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, 12 Queen Square, ION, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
Neuroimage. 2002 Aug;16(4):909-19. doi: 10.1006/nimg.2002.1147.
Electrodermal activity reflects autonomic sympathetic innervation of dermal sweat glands providing an index of emotion-related bodily states of arousal. Relaxation techniques, which are facilitated by external (bio)feedback of electrodermal activity, can be used by trained subjects to actively control bodily and emotional arousal. Biofeedback relaxation provides an experimental model to explore neural mechanisms contributing to emotional representations and intentional autonomic control. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore neural mechanisms contributing to integration of volitional intent, self-representation, and autonomic states of arousal, embodied within performance of a biofeedback relaxation exercise. Data were obtained from 17 subjects to assess brain activity during relaxation in which a visual index of electrodermal arousal was modulated by accuracy (addition of random "noise") or sensitivity (by scalar adjustments of feedback). A central matrix of cortical, subcortical and brainstem autonomic centres was activated during biofeedback relaxation, as well as regions that mediate visual and somatesthetic representations and executive control. Anterior cingulate, amygdala, and insula activity was modulated by task manipulations that increased demand on processing interoceptive representations, while variation in anterior insula activity reflected an interaction between accuracy and sensitivity of feedback. These findings identify neural substrates that support integration of perceptual processing, interoception, and intentional modulation of bodily states of arousal.
皮肤电活动反映了真皮汗腺的自主交感神经支配，提供了与情绪相关的身体唤醒状态指标。通过皮肤电活动的外部（生物）反馈促进的放松技术，经过训练的受试者可以用来主动控制身体和情绪唤醒。生物反馈放松提供了一个实验模型，以探索有助于情绪表征和自主控制的神经机制。我们使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）来探索在生物反馈放松练习的表现中所体现的，有助于整合意志意图、自我表征和自主唤醒状态的神经机制。从17名受试者获得数据，以评估在放松过程中的大脑活动，其中皮肤电唤醒的视觉指标通过准确性（添加随机“噪声”）或敏感性（通过反馈的标量调整）进行调节。在生物反馈放松过程中，皮质、皮质下和脑干自主神经中枢的中央矩阵被激活，以及介导视觉和躯体感觉表征及执行控制的区域。前扣带回、杏仁核和岛叶的活动受到增加对内部感受表征处理需求的任务操作的调节，而前岛叶活动的变化反映了反馈的准确性和敏感性之间的相互作用。这些发现确定了支持感知处理、内感受和身体唤醒状态的有意调节整合的神经基础。
