Characterizing emotional response to music in the prefrontal cortex using near infrared spectroscopy

Known to be involved in emotional processing the human prefrontal cortex (PFC), can be non-invasively monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). As such, PFC NIRS can serve as a means for studying emotional processing by the PFC. Identifying patterns associated with emotions in PFC using NIRS may provide a means of bedside emotion identification for nonverbal children and youth with severe physical disabilities. In this study, NIRS was used to characterize the PFC hemodynamic response to emotional arousal and valence in a music-based emotion induction paradigm in 9 individuals without disabilities or known health conditions. In particular, a novel technique based on wavelet-based peak detection was used to characterize chromophore concentration patterns. The maximum wavelet coefficients extracted from oxygenated hemoglobin concentration waveforms from all nine recording locations on the PFC were significantly associated with emotional valence and arousal. Specifically, high arousal and negative emotions were associated with larger maximum wavelet coefficients.