functional-near-infrared-spectroscopy-hyperscanning-study

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning is an innovative technique that enables real-time monitoring of brain activity among multiple ...

east china normal university

Previous studies have shown that the speed of identifying emotional words is affected by pre-cues of up or down arrows, called the space-valence congruency effect (Zhang, Hu, Zhang, & Wang, 2015). In the present study, we investigate whether this effect is influenced by hypnotic or non-hypnotic suggestions to ignore pre-cues in highly hypnotizable individuals (HHIs). In all conditions, target words (including positive words, negative words and neutral words) primed by up or down arrows were presented to pre-screened HHIs. They were asked to identify whether the target words had emotional valence. Behavioral results showed that the space-valence congruency effect was absent in the hypnotic and non-hypnotic suggestion groups, but present in the non-suggestion control group. Consistently, the amplitudes of P2 components elicited by negative words were significantly larger when primed by down than by up arrows in the non-suggestion control group, and this P2 effect was absent in the hypnotic and non-hypnotic suggestion groups. Moreover, the amplitudes of the late positive components (LPC) showed no significant arrow-priming difference for positive targets in the hypnotic-suggestion and control groups. However, in the non-hypnotic suggestion group, the amplitudes of LPC were significantly larger when primed by down than up arrows for positive targets. Our results showed that suggestions, even without a hypnotic induction, can de-automatize embodied emotional recognition processes and modulate early attentional processing.

Hypnotic and non-hypnotic suggestion to ignore pre-cues decreases space-valence congruency effects in highly hypnotizable individuals.

The mechanisms underlying behavioral synchrony during psychological counseling are not clear. Recent research has provided evidence that pervasive synchrony is associated with interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) and possibly contributes to the positive working alliance-the degree to which the counseling dyads engage in collaborative and purposive work. Our study explored the IBS between the clients and the counselors using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based hyperscanning. Thirty-four participants (as clients) were randomly assigned either to the psychological counseling group or to the chatting group; three female professional counselors provided them with 40 minutes of psychological counseling or chatting. We found better working alliances and increased IBS in the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) between clients and counselors during psychological counseling (versus chatting). Such IBS also correlated with the bond of working alliance. To our knowledge, our work represents the first demonstration of fNIRS-hyperscanning measurements for synchronous brain activity between the clients and counselors. This study refines the neural explanation of behavioral synchrony during psychological counseling.

Interpersonal brain synchronization associated with working alliance during psychological counseling.

The role of the counselor's experience in building an alliance with the clients remains controversial. Recently, the expanding nascent studies on interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) on human subjects have hinted at the possible neural substrates underlying the relationship qualities between the counselor-client dyads. Our study assessed the clients' self-report working alliance (WA) as well as simultaneously measured IBS by fNIRS in 14 experienced versus 16 novice counselor-client dyads during the first integrative-orientation psychological counseling session. We observed that synchronous brain activity patterns were elicited from the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) across counselor-client dyads. Furthermore, such IBS, together with alliance quality, was especially evident when counselors had more psychotherapy experience. Time-lagged counselor-client brain synchronization might co-vary with the alliance (goal component) when the client's brain activity preceded that of the counselor. These findings favor the notion that the IBS between counselor-client associated with the WA is an experience-dependent phenomenon, suggesting that a potential adaptive mechanism is embedded in psychological counseling.

Experience-Dependent Counselor-Client Brain Synchronization during Psychological Counseling.

This study investigated the impact of hypnotic suggestions on improving attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help (ATSPPH). The study administered the Chinese version of the ATSPPH scale on 303 college students, of which 61 with low levels of ATSPPH were recruited as the participants (male: 18; female: 43). All participants were tested with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A, prior to the formal experiment and assigned with balancing hypnotic susceptibility in hypnotic suggestion, relaxation, or control groups. The main results were as follows: (1) counter-attitudinal information significantly improved explicit ATSPPH only for the hypnotic suggestion and relaxation groups, (2) the hypnotic suggestion group exhibited improvement in implicit ATSPPH and (3) a difference was observed between explicit and implicit attitudes in the process of providing counter-attitudinal information when changing ATSPPH.

Hypnotic and direct suggestions affect attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help.

 This study aimed to explore whether behavioral synchrony (BS) and inter-brain synchrony (IBS) could serve as potential biomarkers for alliance quality or outcomes among clients with different adult attachment styles.  We assessed the clients' self-report working alliance and clinical outcomes as well as simultaneously measured BS using motion energy analysis (MEA) and IBS with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) among 37 secure (= 21) or dismissing (= 16) clients with their counselors during the first psychological counseling meeting.  Dismissing dyads manifested significantly higher late-stage counselor-led and client-led IBS (= .018) than secure dyads. Adult attachment style served as the moderators in the correlation of both whole-stage client-led BS with bond dimension of alliance ( = .015) as well as in the correlation of both whole-stage no-lag IBS with CORE-10 score changes ( = .022). Moreover, increases in the whole-stage client-led BS were significantly associated with decreases in early-stage, late-stage and whole-stage no-lag IBS (all s ≤ 0.01).  These findings revealed the potentially impeding role of interpersonal synchrony in alliance quality for dismissing clients, at least during the first psychological counseling meetings. They also might partially validate the relationship between different modalities of interpersonal synchrony.

Article	Year
Hypnotic and non-hypnotic suggestion to ignore pre-cues decreases space-valence congruency effects in highly hypnotizable individuals. Consciousness and cognition\| PubMed ID: 30292101	2018
Interpersonal brain synchronization associated with working alliance during psychological counseling. Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging\| PubMed ID: 30292535	2018
Experience-Dependent Counselor-Client Brain Synchronization during Psychological Counseling. eNeuro\| PubMed ID: 32878962	2020
Hypnotic and direct suggestions affect attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. The American journal of clinical hypnosis\| PubMed ID: 37530802	2024
Client-counselor behavioral and inter-brain synchronization among dismissing and secure clients and its association with alliance quality and outcome. Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research\| PubMed ID: 37643580	2024

Ya Zhang

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