Imagined Events with Specific Emotional Valence Produce Specific Patterns of Facial EMG Activity

Abstract

36 subjects' facial electromyographic (EMG) activity at the zygomatic, corrugator, and levator labii (superioris/alaeque nasi) muscle regions were recorded while they were acting self-generated emotions of happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, and surprise. Analysis showed that the EMG activity at the levator labii region generated significantly higher power than those at the corrugator region while acting out disgust, the EMG activity at the zygomatic region generated significantly higher power than those at corrugator region while acting out happiness and surprise, and the EMG activity at the corrugator region generated significantly higher power than those at zygomatic and levator labii regions while acting out anger, sadness, and fear. It was concluded that the negative self-generated emotions were associated with increased EMG activity of corrugator muscles and positive self-acting emotions with increased EMG activity of zygomatic muscles.

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