An examination of the default mode network in individuals with autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)
Stephen D. Smith, Beverley Katherine Fredborg, J. Kornelsen
Social Neuroscience July 4, 2017 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1188851 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | 11 individuals with ASMR and 11 matched controls |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Individuals with ASMR showed significantly less functional connectivity within the default mode network than matched controls, along with increased connectivity between occipital, frontal, and temporal regions. The authors suggest this pattern reflects a blending of multiple resting-state networks that may contribute to ASMR's characteristic sensory-emotional experiences. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a perceptual condition in which specific visual and auditory stimuli consistently trigger tingling sensations on the scalp and neck, sometimes spreading to the back and limbs. These triggering stimuli are often social, almost intimate, in nature (e.g., hearing whispering, or watching someone brush her hair), and often elicit a calm and positive emotional state. Surprisingly, despite its prevalence in the general population, no published study has examined the neural underpinnings of ASMR. In the current study, the default mode network (DMN) of 11 individuals with ASMR was contrasted to that of 11 matched controls. The results indicated that the DMN of individuals with ASMR showed significantly less functional connectivity than that of controls. The DMN of individuals with ASMR also demonstrated increased connectivity between regions in the occipital, frontal, and temporal cortices, suggesting that ASMR was associated with a blending of multiple resting-state networks. This atypical functional connectivity likely influences the unique sensory-emotional experiences associated with ASMR.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and the Functions of Consciousness. Cognitive Science May 1, 2024
- Does ASMR propensity reflect a mentally flexible mindset? Exploring the relationship between ASMR propensity, transliminality, emotional contagion, schizotypal traits, roleplaying ability, and creativity. Consciousness and Cognition August 1, 2023
- Body scan meditation enhances the autonomous sensory meridian response to auditory stimuli. Perception June 1, 2022
- Sensory determinants of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR): understanding the triggers. PeerJ 2017
Cites 6
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 27, 2014
- The Neurodynamic Organization of Modality-Dependent Hallucinations Cerebral Cortex April 24, 2012
- Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR): a flow-like mental state. PeerJ 2015
and 1 more in the library