A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity
Abstract Arousal is fundamental for affective experience and, together with valence, defines the core affective space. Precise brain models of affective arousal are lacking, leading to continuing debates of whether the neural systems generalize across valence domains and are separable from those und...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61706-0 |
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| author | Ran Zhang Xianyang Gan Ting Xu Fangwen Yu Lan Wang Xinwei Song Guojuan Jiao Xiqin Liu Feng Zhou Benjamin Becker |
| author_facet | Ran Zhang Xianyang Gan Ting Xu Fangwen Yu Lan Wang Xinwei Song Guojuan Jiao Xiqin Liu Feng Zhou Benjamin Becker |
| author_sort | Ran Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Arousal is fundamental for affective experience and, together with valence, defines the core affective space. Precise brain models of affective arousal are lacking, leading to continuing debates of whether the neural systems generalize across valence domains and are separable from those underlying autonomic arousal or wakefulness. Here, we combine naturalistic fMRI with predictive modeling to develop a brain affective arousal signature (BAAS, discovery-validation design, n = 60, 36). We demonstrate its (1) sensitivity and generalizability across mental processes, valence, and stimulation modality and (2) neural distinction from autonomic arousal and wakefulness (24 studies, n = 868). Affective arousal is encoded in distributed cortical-subcortical (e.g., prefrontal, periaqueductal gray) systems with local similarities in thalamo-amygdala-insula systems between affective and autonomous arousal. We demonstrate application of the BAAS to improve specificity of established valence-specific neuromarkers. Our study provides a biologically plausible model for affective arousal that aligns with the affective space and has a high application potential. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ed3c78cfbd64b7ca442d326bb41c2d3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ed3c78cfbd64b7ca442d326bb41c2d32025-08-20T03:05:14ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116112110.1038/s41467-025-61706-0A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivityRan Zhang0Xianyang Gan1Ting Xu2Fangwen Yu3Lan Wang4Xinwei Song5Guojuan Jiao6Xiqin Liu7Feng Zhou8Benjamin Becker9Faculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityThe Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityThe Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaThe Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaHuaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong KongAbstract Arousal is fundamental for affective experience and, together with valence, defines the core affective space. Precise brain models of affective arousal are lacking, leading to continuing debates of whether the neural systems generalize across valence domains and are separable from those underlying autonomic arousal or wakefulness. Here, we combine naturalistic fMRI with predictive modeling to develop a brain affective arousal signature (BAAS, discovery-validation design, n = 60, 36). We demonstrate its (1) sensitivity and generalizability across mental processes, valence, and stimulation modality and (2) neural distinction from autonomic arousal and wakefulness (24 studies, n = 868). Affective arousal is encoded in distributed cortical-subcortical (e.g., prefrontal, periaqueductal gray) systems with local similarities in thalamo-amygdala-insula systems between affective and autonomous arousal. We demonstrate application of the BAAS to improve specificity of established valence-specific neuromarkers. Our study provides a biologically plausible model for affective arousal that aligns with the affective space and has a high application potential.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61706-0 |
| spellingShingle | Ran Zhang Xianyang Gan Ting Xu Fangwen Yu Lan Wang Xinwei Song Guojuan Jiao Xiqin Liu Feng Zhou Benjamin Becker A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity Nature Communications |
| title | A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| title_full | A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| title_fullStr | A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| title_full_unstemmed | A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| title_short | A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| title_sort | neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61706-0 |
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