Modeling Emotional Arousal With Turbulence Measured by EEG.
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| Title: | Modeling Emotional Arousal With Turbulence Measured by EEG. |
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| Authors: | Vidal, Marc (AUTHOR), Moura, Nádia (AUTHOR), Van Kerrebroeck, Bavo (AUTHOR), Aguilera, Ana M. (AUTHOR), Fritz, Thomas H. (AUTHOR), Leman, Marc (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Psychophysiology. Jun2025, Vol. 62 Issue 6, p1-17. 17p. |
| Subjects: | Expressive behavior, Self-expression, Turbulence, Conductors (Musicians), Electroencephalography |
| Abstract: | Turbulence‐like dynamics in brain activity have been proposed as a signature of systems operating near criticality, and may reflect changes in neuronal function associated with emotional states. In this paper, we hypothesize that motor behavior linked to emotional expression modulates turbulence, reflecting a shift towards more streamlined brain dynamics characteristic of emotional motor control. We assessed EEG turbulence in 30 healthy participants in a motor paradigm varying in both task demand and degree of emotionality. Conditions included singing, swaying, responding to a virtual conductor of variable expressivity, having your own body movements mirrored by a virtual agent, and combinations thereof. Results showed an inverse relation of turbulence intensity in the alpha range to both degree of movement and perceived level of task emotionality, which was also true for the high gamma range, but to a lesser extent. When factoring in task demand, the effect of level of emotionality in the alpha range deteriorated. This is physiological evidence for why physical arousal is likely to increase the level of perceived emotional engagement or even be misinterpreted as such. Our findings suggest high gamma activity is a more accurate indicator of emotionality during motor tasks and can be key to differentiating EEG signatures of emotional motor control, which has been shown to be partly autonomous from voluntary motor control. Impact Statement: Emotional arousal and motor engagement are tightly intertwined during expressive behaviors like singing. Here, we introduce an EEG‐based method to quantify turbulence‐like neural dynamics and assess how they reflect emotional involvement during motor performance. By analyzing alpha and high gamma activity across experimental conditions varying in motor execution and task expressivity, we show that turbulence intensity is inversely related to emotional engagement and motor control—particularly in high gamma. These findings offer new insights for investigating emotion‐related brain dynamics in naturalistic, embodied tasks, with potential relevance for both fundamental research in motor control and interventions targeting emotional and volitional motor impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Turbulence‐like dynamics in brain activity have been proposed as a signature of systems operating near criticality, and may reflect changes in neuronal function associated with emotional states. In this paper, we hypothesize that motor behavior linked to emotional expression modulates turbulence, reflecting a shift towards more streamlined brain dynamics characteristic of emotional motor control. We assessed EEG turbulence in 30 healthy participants in a motor paradigm varying in both task demand and degree of emotionality. Conditions included singing, swaying, responding to a virtual conductor of variable expressivity, having your own body movements mirrored by a virtual agent, and combinations thereof. Results showed an inverse relation of turbulence intensity in the alpha range to both degree of movement and perceived level of task emotionality, which was also true for the high gamma range, but to a lesser extent. When factoring in task demand, the effect of level of emotionality in the alpha range deteriorated. This is physiological evidence for why physical arousal is likely to increase the level of perceived emotional engagement or even be misinterpreted as such. Our findings suggest high gamma activity is a more accurate indicator of emotionality during motor tasks and can be key to differentiating EEG signatures of emotional motor control, which has been shown to be partly autonomous from voluntary motor control. Impact Statement: Emotional arousal and motor engagement are tightly intertwined during expressive behaviors like singing. Here, we introduce an EEG‐based method to quantify turbulence‐like neural dynamics and assess how they reflect emotional involvement during motor performance. By analyzing alpha and high gamma activity across experimental conditions varying in motor execution and task expressivity, we show that turbulence intensity is inversely related to emotional engagement and motor control—particularly in high gamma. These findings offer new insights for investigating emotion‐related brain dynamics in naturalistic, embodied tasks, with potential relevance for both fundamental research in motor control and interventions targeting emotional and volitional motor impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00485772 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/psyp.70093 |
