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Exploring Aesthetic Chills as a Biomarker in Depression
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Abstract
Background. Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is a pressing public health crisis affecting 121 million individuals globally and contributing to 850,000 annual deaths. Few studies investigate the mechanisms underlying positive emotion dysregulation in depression. This study aims to bridge this gap and provide novel methods for the elicitation of positive affect and its brain, body, and behavioral mechanisms. Methods. ChillsDB, an open-source database of validated audiovisual stimuli, was used to identify the stimuli. A total of 193 participants took part in the experiment, including 74 males, with a mean age of 41.5 (SD=15.4). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) were used to screen for depression (cut-off at 19) and anhedonia (cut-off at 32). All groups were balanced in terms of gender and age. 78 individuals were clinically diagnosed with depression, with 46 of them having a BDI score larger than 19. Additionally, 30 subjects diagnosed with anhedonic depression (SHAPS>32) were included. The remaining 84 subjects did not have a history of clinical depression or mental health issues. Results. The intensity of chills was significantly lower in the depressed group compared to that in the healthy group (p = 0.037). Additionally, individuals who were classified as mildly depressed were associated with significantly higher odds of having chills (Estimate = 1.373). The BDI scores were compared between individuals who reported experiencing chills and those who did not. Conclusions. The findings of this study have important implications for understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for positive affect in depression and highlight the need for further investigation in this area.
... Characterized by goosebumps and cold shivers down the spine, chills are psychogenic bodily reactions triggered by engaging with evocative stimuli like music or stories 2,4,5 . As a conscious, measurable emotion with neural and behavioral correlates, chills show promise for elucidating the relationship between physiology and affect 1,6,7 , and for the enhancing positive affect in clinically relevant populations 8,9 . Studies indicate chills increase altruism, pleasure, attention and memory 10,11 , modulate heart rate, pupils, skin conductance and muscle contractions 12-14 , and can generate positive shift in mood and emotion in depression 8 . ...
... While the initial ChillsDB was centered on identifying and validating chills-eliciting content, ChillsDB 2.0 provides a more comprehensive perspective via a rich set of trait predictors and state correlates 2. Notably, a leading stimulus in this updated database demonstrates a 0.75 probability of inducing chills across over 70 participants. This database may also have clinical relevance where this expanded database can contribute to research in areas like depression, where aesthetic chills have been shown to mitigate maladaptive cognition 25 , improve hedonic tone 26 , and aberrant chills response may be a physiological signature of anhedonia 8 . Chills are also a key target for the development of body-based, interoceptive technologies enhancing the distinct somatic markers of the emotion 9,27 . ...
We significantly enriched ChillsDB, a dataset of audiovisual stimuli validated to elicit aesthetic chills. A total of 2,937 participants from Southern California were exposed to 40 stimuli, consisting of 20 stimuli (10 from ChillsDB and 10 new) presented either in audiovisual or audio-only formats. Questionnaires were administered assessing demographics, personality traits, state affect, and political orientation. Detailed data on chills responses is captured alongside participants’ ratings of the stimuli. The dataset combines controlled elicitation of chills using previously validated materials with individual difference measures to enable investigation of predictors and correlates of aesthetic chills phenomena. It aims to support continued research on the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of aesthetic chills responses.
... Characterized by goosebumps and cold shivers down the spine, chills are psychogenic bodily reactions triggered by engaging with evocative stimuli like music or stories 2,4,5 . As a conscious, measurable emotion with neural and behavioral correlates, chills show promise for elucidating the relationship between physiology and affect 1,6,7 , and for the enhancing positive affect in clinically relevant populations 8,9 . Studies indicate chills increase altruism, pleasure, attention and memory 10,11 , modulate heart rate, pupils, skin conductance and muscle contractions 12-14 , and can generate positive shift in mood and emotion in depression 8 . ...
... While the initial ChillsDB was centered on identifying and validating chills-eliciting content, ChillsDB 2.0 provides a more comprehensive perspective via a rich set of trait predictors and state correlates 2. Notably, a leading stimulus in this updated database demonstrates a 0.75 probability of inducing chills across over 70 participants. This database may also have clinical relevance where this expanded database can contribute to research in areas like depression, where aesthetic chills have been shown to mitigate maladaptive cognition 25 , improve hedonic tone 26 , and aberrant chills response may be a physiological signature of anhedonia 8 . Chills are also a key target for the development of body-based, interoceptive technologies enhancing the distinct somatic markers of the emotion 9,27 . ...
We significantly enriched ChillsDB, a dataset of audiovisual stimuli validated to elicit aesthetic chills. A total of 2,937 participants from Southern California were exposed to 40 stimuli, consisting of 20 stimuli (10 from ChillsDB and 10 new) presented either in audiovisual or audio-only formats. Questionnaires were administered assessing demographics, personality traits, state affect, and political orientation. Detailed data on chills responses is captured alongside participants' ratings of the stimuli. The dataset combines controlled elicitation of chills using previously validated materials with individual difference measures to enable investigation of predictors and correlates of aesthetic chills phenomena. It aims to support continued research on the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of aesthetic chills responses.
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