Quantifying emotion-dependent brain-eye interactions during audiovisual emotional stimulation

Electrooculography (EOG) provides a noninvasive measure of eye movements linked to affective processing, yet it is mainly used for artifact correction of electroencephalography (EEG) signals rather than analyzed as a physiological signal in its own right. EEG-EOG coupling has therefore not been well-established. This study aimed to determine whether emotion-specific changes in arousal and valence are reflected in directional and frequency-specific interactions between EEG rhythms and EOG signals.

The DEAP dataset with 32 participants, where each viewed 40 1-min music videos and rated their arousal/valence, was used (1,280 samples). EEG from eight electrodes was filtered into theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands, while horizontal and vertical EOG were also preprocessed. EOG complexity was assessed using sample, fuzzy, and permutation entropy. EEG-EOG coupling was assessed with the controlled time delay stability (CTDS) framework, which evaluates stability of partial cross-correlation delays.

Entropy analysis showed emotion-related differences in horizontal and vertical EOG complexity (p < 0.005). EEG-EOG coupling varied with emotion, with the strongest effects at sensorimotor and frontal sites, primarily within the gamma band. Directional EOG-to-EEG coupling predominating at frontal, sensorimotor, and occipital sites. Differences were most pronounced when arousal and valence varied independently or in opposite directions, with fewer effects during parallel shifts.

Emotional states are mirrored by frequency- and channel-specific shifts in EEG-EOG interactions, a core component of the affective behavioral network. These results clarify the directional dynamics linking eye movement and cortical activity, revealing a structured, context-sensitive neural architecture for affective processing.