Neurophysiological correlates of the regulation of emotion and working memory processes throughspontaneous facial self-touch gestures

先前的一项研究（Grunwald et al . 2014a）表明，在自发面部自我触摸手势（sFSTG）前后，θ和β能量的脑电活动发生了显著变化。整个实验过程中脑电图参数的变化动态表明，自发进行的面部皮肤自我触摸可能调节了工作记忆过程，同时也发生了情绪过程。相比之下，如果考官指示参与者触摸他们的脸，则没有发生这种前后脑电图变化。这些发现是第一个神经生物学证据，支持指向自己身体的运动可能履行调节功能的假设。各自的研究课题可能在神经生物学基础研究和临床设置层面上为人类行为提供有希望的见解。本研究的目的是：a)阐明自发性面部自触时的脑电激活模式；b)分析自发性面部自触前、自触中和自触后的脑电活动模式与自发性面部自触的持续时间和位置的关系；c)分析自发性面部自触前、自触中和自触后的脑电活动模式；同侧和对侧面部区域)与sFSTG之前，期间和之后的脑电活动模式的相关性，d)阐明sFSTG有关目标（a)到(c)的性别特征，以及e）阐明阻止参与者进行sFSTG引起的行为影响和脑电变化。总共，56名男性和56名女性之间的20和35岁将测试与Grunwald （2014a）的研究设计。频谱和小波分析将对19通道脑电图记录的常规带宽进行分析。sFSTG的运动和皮肤接触动力学将由现有的微处理器加速度传感器记录。研究的总时间为12个月，包括实施、数据分析和稿件提交。

A previous study (Grunwald et al 2014a) has shown significant changes in the brain electrical activityof theta and beta power immediately before and after spontaneous facial self-touch gestures (sFSTG).The change dynamics of the EEG parameters across the entire experiment suggested thatspontaneously performed self-touch of the facial skin may modulate working memory processes andsimultaneously occurring emotional processes. If, in contrast, the examiner instructed the participantsto touch their face, no such pre-post EEG changes occurred. These finding are the firstneurobiological evidence in support of the hypothesis that movements directed to the own body mayfulfil regulatory functions. Respective research topics may provide promising insights in humanbehavior on the level of neurobiological foundational research as well as in clinical settings.The goals of the study under application are the following: a) elucidation of the brain electrical patterns of activation during the spontaneous facial self-touch, b) analysis of the duration and location of the sFSTG in relation to the brain electrical activity patterns before, during and after the sFSTG, c)analysis of the sFSTG characteristics (left vs. right hand; ipsilateral vs. contralateral face regions) inrelation to the brain electrical activity patterns before, during and after the sFSTG, d) elucidation of the gender specific characteristics of sFSTG concerning goals (a) through (c), and e) elucidation ofbehavioural effects and brain electrical changes caused by preventing the participant from performingsFSTG.Altogether, 56 men and 56 women between 20 and 35 years of age will be tested with the studydesign of Grunwald (2014a). Spectral and Wavelet analyses will be conducted of the conventionalband widths recorded with a 19 channel EEG. Movement and skin contact dynamics of the sFSTG will be registered by existing microprocessor acceleration sensors. The total duration of the study,including implementation, data analysis and manuscript submission will be 12 months.