<p>In "<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206735/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Simultaneous acquisition of corrugator electromyography and functional magnetic resonance imaging: A new method for objectively measuring affect and neural activity concurrently</a>" Aaron et al. use face EMG to measure emotional reaction to photos. As shown in the figure below, the response only lasts a few seconds:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TCgMU.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TCgMU.png" alt="emg figure"></a></p>

<p>Getting a GSR response is more complicated due to the noise in the reading. In "<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2772899/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Time-series analysis for rapid event-related skin conductance responses</a>" by Bach et al., the authors figure out a mathematical approach for figuring out the event-related response. Both via a smoothed fitted gamma distribution and PCA component analysis are used below:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qu0mX.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qu0mX.png" alt="gsr response"></a></p>

<p>Both response measures seem to return to reference levels after 30 minutes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-25T09:56:41.020Z
2017-01-26T02:27:21.967Z
2017-01-26T02:27:21.967Z
Seanny123
<p>In "Determinants of Emotion Duration and Underlying Psychological and Neural Mechanisms" by Verduyn et al. discuss how certain physiological signals are outlasted by actual feelings:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In particular, whereas the duration of expressive
  (e.g., facial expression; [1]), and (neuro)physiological components
  (e.g., cardiovascular recovery; [2]) seems to rarely exceed a few
  minutes, feelings and associated cognitions may persist for hours or
  longer (e.g., [3], [4]).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is this true for all external physiological signals including Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and Electromyography (EMG)? I would find this surprising given that there is evidence of the central nervous system being related relating physical to social pain, as shown in "<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44673230_Acetaminophen_Reduces_Social_Pain_Behavioral_and_Neural_Evidence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain: Behavioral and Neural Evidence</a>" Dewall et al., so I would expect some external evidence of this physical pain.</p>

<hr>

<p>[1] Ekman, Paul, and Wallace V. Friesen. "Felt, false, and miserable smiles." Journal of nonverbal behavior 6.4 (1982): 238-252.</p>

<p>[2] L. Fredrickson, Barbara, and Robert W. Levenson. "Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions." Cognition &amp; emotion 12.2 (1998): 191-220.</p>

<p>[3] Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan, and Jannay Morrow. "Effects of rumination and distraction on naturally occurring depressed mood." Cognition &amp; Emotion 7.6 (1993): 561-570.</p>

<p>[4] Verduyn, Philippe, Iven Van Mechelen, and Francis Tuerlinckx. "The relation between event processing and the duration of emotional experience." Emotion 11.1 (2011): 20.</p>

<cognitive-neuroscience><emotion><neurophysiology>
Length of neuro-physiological signals of emotion compared to feeling time
Seanny123
# Length of neuro-physiological signals of emotion compared to feeling time

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-25)

In "Determinants of Emotion Duration and Underlying Psychological and Neural Mechanisms" by Verduyn et al. discuss how certain physiological signals are outlasted by actual feelings:

> In particular, whereas the duration of expressive
> (e.g., facial expression; [1]), and (neuro)physiological components
> (e.g., cardiovascular recovery; [2]) seems to rarely exceed a few
> minutes, feelings and associated cognitions may persist for hours or
> longer (e.g., [3], [4]).

Is this true for all external physiological signals including Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and Electromyography (EMG)? I would find this surprising given that there is evidence of the central nervous system being related relating physical to social pain, as shown in "[Acetaminophen Reduces Social Pain: Behavioral and Neural Evidence](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44673230_Acetaminophen_Reduces_Social_Pain_Behavioral_and_Neural_Evidence)" Dewall et al., so I would expect some external evidence of this physical pain.

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[1] Ekman, Paul, and Wallace V. Friesen. "Felt, false, and miserable smiles." Journal of nonverbal behavior 6.4 (1982): 238-252.

[2] L. Fredrickson, Barbara, and Robert W. Levenson. "Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions." Cognition & emotion 12.2 (1998): 191-220.

[3] Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan, and Jannay Morrow. "Effects of rumination and distraction on naturally occurring depressed mood." Cognition & Emotion 7.6 (1993): 561-570.

[4] Verduyn, Philippe, Iven Van Mechelen, and Francis Tuerlinckx. "The relation between event processing and the duration of emotional experience." Emotion 11.1 (2011): 20.

**Tags:** cognitive-neuroscience, emotion, neurophysiology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2017-01-25. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

In "[Simultaneous acquisition of corrugator electromyography and functional magnetic resonance imaging: A new method for objectively measuring affect and neural activity concurrently](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206735/)" Aaron et al. use face EMG to measure emotional reaction to photos. As shown in the figure below, the response only lasts a few seconds:

[![emg figure](https://i.sstatic.net/TCgMU.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/TCgMU.png)

Getting a GSR response is more complicated due to the noise in the reading. In "[Time-series analysis for rapid event-related skin conductance responses](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2772899/)" by Bach et al., the authors figure out a mathematical approach for figuring out the event-related response. Both via a smoothed fitted gamma distribution and PCA component analysis are used below:

[![gsr response](https://i.sstatic.net/qu0mX.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/qu0mX.png)

Both response measures seem to return to reference levels after 30 minutes.


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