Slow-paced breathing reduces anxiety and enhances midfrontal alpha asymmetry, buffering responses to aversive visual stimuli

These findings suggest that SB effectively reduces state anxiety while enhancing rLFA, with these effects persisting after exposure to visual stressors. The anxiety-buffering effect of SB may be mediated by enhanced rLFA in the midfrontal region, reflecting improved prefrontal regulatory control over emotion. This indicates that SB could be a practical intervention to enhance neurophysiological resilience against acute stress.