Brain-Heart Dynamics: Virtual Reality Explores Theta Band’s Role in Emotion Processing

The autonomic and central nervous systems influence each other quite significantly. Previous efforts attempting to quantitatively characterize this profound connection by linking electroencephalographic power in specific frequency bands with heart rate variability produced associations with unclear psychophysiological significance. This study introduces an innovative approach using a virtual reality emotional protocol aimed at unraveling brain-heart interactions. By computing the maximal information coefficient between the theta band electroencephalographic power and electrocardiogram-derived features, we aim at understanding the intricate link between cortical activity and cardiovascular function. The findings reveal elevated activity levels in the frontal and parietal regions, particularly in response to fear. The maximal information coefficient suggests that positive emotions correspond to increased heart-brain coupling, whereas emotions characterized by very high arousal and negative valence are linked to diminished coupling in the same regions. Overall, our findings confirm that the theta band consistently plays a significant role in emotion processing, with discernible differences in coupling between positive and negative valence, which is especially evident in the low-frequency heart rate variability spectrum. The proposed research deepens our understanding of the dynamic relationship between cortical activity and cardiovascular responses, shedding light on the complex interplay between emotion processing and autonomic regulation.