scholarly journals Sex differences in brain activation to anticipated and experienced pain in the medial prefrontal cortex

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 689-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Straube ◽  
Stephanie Schmidt ◽  
Thomas Weiss ◽  
Hans-Joachim Mentzel ◽  
Wolfgang H.R. Miltner
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Experienced Pain

scholarly journals Induction of Relaxation by Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Sakurai ◽  
Ken Ohno ◽  
Satoshi Kasai ◽  
Kazuaki Nagasaka ◽  
Hideaki Onishi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Classical Music ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Auditory Stimulation ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Relaxation Effects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is used by young people to induce relaxation and sleep and to reduce stress and anxiety; it comprises somatosensation caused by audiovisual stimuli (triggers) that lead to positive emotions. Auditory stimuli play the most important role among the triggers involved in ASMR and have been reported to be more triggering than visual stimuli. On the other hand, classical music is also known to have a relaxing effect. This is the first study to clarify the difference in brain activation associated with relaxation effects between ASMR and classical music by limiting ASMR to auditory stimulation alone.Methods: Thirty healthy subjects, all over 20 years of age, underwent fMRI while listening to ASMR and classical music. We compared the differences in brain activation associated with classical music and ASMR stimulation. After the experiment, the subjects were administered a questionnaire on somatosensation and moods. After the experiment, the participants were asked whether they experienced ASMR somatosensation or frisson. They were also asked to rate the intensity of two moods during stimulation: “comfortable mood,” and “tingling mood”.Result: The results of the questionnaire showed that none of the participants experienced any ASMR somatosensation or frisson. Further, there was no significant difference in the ratings given to comfort mood, but there was a significant difference in those given to tingling mood. In terms of brain function, classical music and ASMR showed significant activation in common areas, while ASMR showed activation in more areas, with the medial prefrontal cortex being the main area of activation during ASMR.Conclusion: Both classical music and the ASMR auditory stimulus produced a pleasant and relaxed state, and ASMR involved more complex brain functions than classical music, especially the activation of the medial prefrontal cortex. Although ASMR was limited to auditory stimulation, the effects were similar to those of listening to classical music, suggesting that ASMR stimulation can produce a pleasant state of relaxation even if it is limited to the auditory component, without the somatic sensation of tingling. ASMR stimulation is easy to use, and appropriate for wellness purposes and a wide range of people.

scholarly journals Sex differences in auditory fear discrimination are associated with altered medial prefrontal cortex function

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet L. L. Day ◽  
Sopapun Suwansawang ◽  
David M. Halliday ◽  
Carl W. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Neural Representation of Subjective Value Under Risk and Ambiguity

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 1036-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifat Levy ◽  
Jason Snell ◽  
Amy J. Nelson ◽  
Aldo Rustichini ◽  
Paul W. Glimcher
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Ambiguity Aversion ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Common System ◽  
Subjective Value

Risk and ambiguity are two conditions in which the consequences of possible outcomes are not certain. Under risk, the probabilities of different outcomes can be estimated, whereas under ambiguity, even these probabilities are not known. Although most people exhibit at least some aversion to both risk and ambiguity, the degree of these aversions is largely uncorrelated across subjects, suggesting that risk aversion and ambiguity aversion are distinct phenomena. Previous studies have shown differences in brain activations for risky and ambiguous choices and have identified neural mechanisms that may mediate transitions from conditions of ambiguity to conditions of risk. Unknown, however, is whether the value of risky and ambiguous options is necessarily represented by two distinct systems or whether a common mechanism can be identified. To answer this question, we compared the neural representation of subjective value under risk and ambiguity. fMRI was used to track brain activation while subjects made choices regarding options that varied systematically in the amount of money offered and in either the probability of obtaining that amount or the level of ambiguity around that probability. A common system, consisting of at least the striatum and the medial prefrontal cortex, was found to represent subjective value under both conditions.

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