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Published on: December 2, 2015
Minimal social co-presence modulates heartbeat evoked potentials and EEG dynamics during a parallel crafting task
Junya Orui1, Keigo Shiraiwa2, Fumie Tazaki3
1Department of Health Science, Osaka Health Science University, 1-9-27 Tenma, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0043, Japan; Department of Occupational Therapy, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, 3-7-30, Habikino, Osaka 583-0872, Japan.
Objective:
To investigate the neurophysiological effects of minimal social co-presence on the Heartbeat Evoked Potential (HEP) and EEG dynamics, providing a normative baseline for altered interoception in clinical disorders.
Methods:
Thirty healthy adults performed a repetitive crafting task in "alone" and "parallel social presence" conditions. EEG and ECG were recorded, and HEPs plus time-frequency dynamics were compared using permutation testing. Changes in cardiac vagal activity and subjective stress were also assessed.
Results:
Parallel co-presence significantly altered HEP morphology (reduced frontal negativity, central-parietal positivity) and EEG power (beta, theta, alpha bands). Only under parallel condition, frontal HEP amplitude correlated with increased cardiac vagal activity (r = 0.39) and reduced subjective stress (rS = -0.55).
Conclusion:
Minimal social context alters the brain's processing of cardiac signals and its autonomic relationship in healthy young adults, establishing a neurophysiological benchmark for brain-body-society interactions. As this study used a non-clinical sample, the findings are not direct evidence of HEP's clinical utility. This work provides a foundational baseline for future comparative studies needed to determine its potential as a clinical biomarker.
Significance:
This study is the first to demonstrate normative neurophysiological effects of minimal social presence on HEP, providing critical evidence and guidance for future clinical research.
