An Exploratory Study on the Regulatory Effect of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response on Anxiety: Evidence From Functional Near-Infrared Brain Imaging Technology

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.