Physiological Evaluation for Highly Sensitive Person using Facial Expression and Motor Imagery

Abstract

The term “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP) refers to an individual’s temperament. They have common characteristics with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other, and their central feature is a high empathy. However, the questionnaires may be inaccurate because they depend on the examinee’s self-perception. Conversely, emotional empathy and activation of mirror neurons are as characteristics of HSP. We thought a quantitative evaluation of people with HSP would be possible if we could physiologically measure these characteristics. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and changes in alpha wave band power induced by facial expression stimulation and the event-related desynchronization (ERD) induced by the video of motor imagery as physiological indicators. The results showed HSPS scores of above 100 had an ERD of above 50%, indicating mirror system activity. Furthermore, HSPS scores of above 100 had lower alpha wave band power values when presented sadness face images.