The effect of autonomous sensory meridian response onautonomic response and cognitive performance

ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a sensory response elicited by specially crafted videos that have reached millions of viewers in recent years. This phenomenon includes sensory reactions such as relaxation and tingling. Studies have also shown that watching ASMR videos can improve performance in cognitive tests. The hypothesis of this study is that ASMR videos will induce changes in physiological parameters and that individuals sensitive to this phenomenon will exhibit differences in cognitive performance. Our study aimed to evaluate the physiological effects of ASMR using Electrodermal Activity (EDA), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), cortical blood flow measurements, and cognitive tests. The experimental protocol involved showing ASMR and control videos to 31 participants. The Gaze Cue Test was administered as a cognitive test at the beginning and end of the protocol. ECG (Electrocardiogram), EDA, and FNIRS (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) recordings were taken throughout the experiment. Based on a questionnaire completed at the end of the experiment, participants were categorized into three different groups: sensitive and insensitive, depending on their experiences of ASMR sensation, relaxation, and tingling. In video blocks, groups that experienced ASMR sensation and relaxation had lower heart rates and higher HRV parameters (correlated with parasympathetic activation) compared to those who did not experience these sensations. Both sensitive and insensitive groups showed higher EDA values in the last minutes of the ASMR video compared to the control video. Sensitive participants showed an increase in oxygenated and total hemoglobin concentrations during the ASMR video compared to insensitive participants. When comparing ASMR and control videos, total hemoglobin concentrations tended to increase during the ASMR video in sensitive participants, while they tended to increase during the control video in insensitive participants. In the Gaze Cue Test, participants' reaction times shortened in the second test for both congruent and incongruent gaze directions. Although this performance increase was not significant, it was more pronounced in the insensitive group for incongruent directions and in the sensitive group for congruent directions. Our findings suggest that ASMR videos increase parasympathetic activation only in sensitive individuals and induce higher sympathetic activity regardless of sensitivity. ASMR videos increased Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) activity more in sensitive participants compared to insensitive participants. The finding that sensitive individuals struggled more to ignore a misleading gaze suggests that this may be related to their empathy skills.