The Future of Psychotherapy Research and Neuroscience: Introducing the 4E/MoBI Approach to the Study of Patient–Therapist Interaction

Abstract

The integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy research has long been a topic of interest in the field of mental health. A significant challenge in psychotherapy research is understanding the dyadic interaction between patient and therapist. This interaction is complex, emerging from a myriad of multi-level factors such as gestures, verbal communication, mentalization, and environmental influences. This article aims to present a roadmap for the future integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy research, addressing the complexities of human interaction. We introduce the 4E/MoBI approach, a framework that combines theoretical and methodological tools to study the dynamics of the brain, body, and environment in real-world settings. This approach emphasizes the use of physiological systems (e.g., heart and brain), behavioral interactions (e.g., conversations and eye-tracking), and environmental video recordings. Additionally, the scalable experimental design (SED) heuristic is discussed as a method to blend controlled experiments with real-world scenarios, allowing for the parametric testing of neurobehavioral markers. As a practical demonstration of the SED heuristic within the 4E/MoBI framework, a concrete experimental example using the N170 event-related potential (ERP) component is presented. While the N170 ERP component is not posited as the foundational marker in the field, it serves to illustrate the application of hypothesis-driven designs and analyses. The 4E/MoBI approach offers a promising avenue for the integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy research. By addressing existing gaps, such as the physiology and phenomenology of expertise in psychotherapy, this framework can foster a virtuous relationship between the two disciplines, paving the way for more comprehensive and nuanced understandings of therapeutic interactions.

Neurodynamics of Relational Aesthetic Engagement in Creative Arts Therapies

“…Yet, the embodied nature of aesthetic experiences emphasizes the role of the body in emotional and mental processes and, therefore, calls for the use of mobile technology such as Mobile Brain-Body Imaging (MoBI). MoBI closely relates to the theoretical understanding of cognition as an Embodied, Embedded, Extended, and Enactive (4E) process, thus making it suitable for studying therapeutic interactions (Costa-Cordella et al, 2023;King & Parada, 2021). MoBI makes it possible to study cognition in natural settings and provides an approach to investigating the connections between the brain, body, and behavior (Gramann et al, 2011;Makeig, 2009).…”