An electroencephalographic examination of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).

In this study, 14 participants who experience ASMR, along with 14 control participants, were presented with four video stimuli and four auditory stimuli. Half of these stimuli were designed to elicit ASMR and half were non-ASMR control stimuli. Brain activity was measured using a 32-channel EEG system. The results indicated that ASMR stimuli-particularly auditory stimuli-elicited increased alpha wave activity in participants with self-reported ASMR, but not in matched control participants. Similar increases were also observed in frequency bands associated with movement (gamma waves and sensorimotor rhythm). These results are consistent with the reported phenomenology of ASMR, which involves both attentional and sensorimotor characteristics.
PMID: 33232904 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Consciousness and Cognition - November 21, 2020 Category: Neurology Authors: Fredborg BK, Champagne-Jorgensen K, Desroches AS, Smith SD Tags: Conscious Cogn Source Type: research