Jiang Huan, Chen Yating, Guo Feng, Yang Binjie, Yan Jiani, Li HuiLing, Jiang Ke, Zhou Qiang, Zhu Xianghe
Department of psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Eur J Neurosci. 2025 Sep;62(5):e70251. doi: 10.1111/ejn.70251.
While some studies have suggested that autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) can relieve anxiety, whether ASMR relieves anxiety in trait-anxious individuals and its neural mechanisms remain a question worth exploring. We used the self-threatening n-back paradigm to elicit state anxiety and an ASMR video to relieve anxiety. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to monitor frontal and temporal lobe activity to explore the neurophysiological changes when watching ASMR videos and then further explore the mechanism of self-reported "feelings" of ASMR. During the anxiety arousal phase, the hemodynamic responses (HR) of the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were significantly enhanced in participants with high trait anxiety. Those with low-trait anxiety had significantly reduced HR of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Compared with the non-ASMR video, the HR of the MFG, PFC, and DLPFC were significantly lower in participants who watched the ASMR video. When the experience of ASMR was reported, the HR of the premotor and auxiliary motor cortices, middle frontal lobe, and DLPFC were significantly reduced. While watching an ASMR video, brain activity is the opposite of when anxiety is elicited in people with high trait anxiety. The activated area when the participants were watching the ASMR video, and when they reported experiencing ASMR, overlapped with the anxiety-related parts of the brain. This provides neurophysiological evidence of how an ASMR video can relieve anxiety.
虽然一些研究表明，自主性感觉经络反应（ASMR）可以缓解焦虑，但ASMR是否能缓解特质焦虑个体的焦虑及其神经机制仍是一个值得探索的问题。我们使用自我威胁n-回溯范式诱发状态焦虑，并使用一段ASMR视频来缓解焦虑。功能性近红外光谱技术（fNIRS）用于监测额叶和颞叶活动，以探索观看ASMR视频时的神经生理变化，进而进一步探究自我报告的ASMR“感受”的机制。在焦虑唤起阶段，高特质焦虑参与者的额中回（MFG）和前额叶皮质（PFC）的血液动力学反应（HR）显著增强。低特质焦虑者的背外侧前额叶皮质（DLPFC）的HR显著降低。与非ASMR视频相比，观看ASMR视频的参与者的MFG、PFC和DLPFC的HR显著更低。当报告有ASMR体验时，运动前区和辅助运动皮质、额中叶和DLPFC的HR显著降低。观看ASMR视频时，大脑活动与高特质焦虑者诱发焦虑时相反。参与者观看ASMR视频时以及报告体验到ASMR时的激活区域，与大脑中与焦虑相关的部分重叠。这为ASMR视频如何缓解焦虑提供了神经生理学证据。
