Affective representations and brain-body dynamics during emotional video viewing

Valence ratings during silent emotional video viewing are linked to beta-band cortical patterns and facial-muscle responses, with windowed neural correspondence emerging from ~10 s and strengthening near the end.

• Why it matters: Emotional events change both brain and body, but it is unclear how these signals map onto overall valence and how their correspondence evolves over time during viewing.
• What they did: Ninety-two participants watched 25 silent ~1-minute emotional videos while magnetoencephalography and cardiac, electrodermal, respiratory, and facial-muscle activity were recorded; representational similarity analysis related neural and peripheral patterns to valence and arousal ratings.
• The result: Neural and facial-muscle valence associations persisted after adjusting for visual and semantic similarity, and dynamic RSA showed facial-muscle activity timing relative to neural patterns (corrugator ~1 s earlier; zygomaticus ~simultaneous).

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