Impact of Emotional Regulation on Well-being and Its Association with Brain Volume
Poster No:
719
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Brenda Arce1, Maribel Delgado1, Azalea Aguilar2
Institutions:
1Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México, 2Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Emotional regulation (ER) involves perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions (Navarro et al., 2018). The strategies for emotional regulation that have received greater empirical support are Cognitive Reappraisal (CR) and Expressive Suppression (ES) (Gross, 1998; Navarro et al., 2018). CR modifies the emotion by reinterpreting situations to alter its emotional impact (Gross, 1998; John & Gross, 2007); its frequent use is associated with better interpersonal functioning, enhanced psychological well-being, and reduced symptoms of depression in healthy individuals (Gross & John, 2003; Goldin et al., 2019). In contrast, ES focuses on inhibiting emotional expression (John & Gross, 2007; Navarro et al., 2018); is negatively associated with well-being and positively associated with anxiety, and depressive symptoms (Gross, 2002; Goldin et al., 2008). Structural neuroimaging studies have shown findings regarding the differential use of ER strategies, specifically usage of ES shows variations in gray matter volume in the ventromedial and dorsomedial PFC, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus and insula (Welborn et al., 2009; Hermann et al., 2014; Moore et al., 2016). Whereas CR shows variations in the superior frontal cortex, ventromedial PFC, dorsal anterior cingulate and amygdala (Welborn et al., 2009; Hermann et al., 2014; Moore et al., 2016). These findings suggest that both RE strategies are differentially associated with emotional well-being and that their frequent use generates variations in the volume of gray matter; however, whole-brain structural studies are needed based on individual differences in the use of RE strategies.
Methods:
Objective
Explore the relationship between brain volumes in emotion regulation strategies structures and emotional well-being, considering individual differences in CR and ES.
Participants
53 healthy volunteers (20 male) between 24-41 years old (M =27.18, SD =3.10), native Spanish speakers, right-handed, and without neurological or psychiatric disorders.
Measures
Emotional regulation strategies: the Spanish adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).
Emotional well-being variables: the Spanish adaptation of the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-IA), the Mexican version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Mexican version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and the spanish version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) divided into four independent dimensions: Fantasy (FS), Perspective Taking (PT), Empathic Concern (EC) and Personal Distress (PD).
MRI acquisition and analysis
The anatomical scans were acquired using a 3 Tesla whole-body scanner (Philips, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and a Sense-Head-32 channel coil. Structural images were acquired using a T1-weighted 3D turbo field echo (TFE) sequence consisting of 176 sagittal slices (TR=8.3 ms, TE= 3.9 ms, flip angle: 8°, FoV: 256 256 mm, voxel size: 1 x 1 x 1 mm). Acquisition time: 6 minutes. Preprocessing and structure volumes were generated using vol2Brain pipeline v.2.0. [https://volbrain.net].
Explore the relationship between brain volumes in emotion regulation strategies structures and emotional well-being, considering individual differences in CR and ES.
Participants
53 healthy volunteers (20 male) between 24-41 years old (M =27.18, SD =3.10), native Spanish speakers, right-handed, and without neurological or psychiatric disorders.
Measures
Emotional regulation strategies: the Spanish adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).
Emotional well-being variables: the Spanish adaptation of the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-IA), the Mexican version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Mexican version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and the spanish version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) divided into four independent dimensions: Fantasy (FS), Perspective Taking (PT), Empathic Concern (EC) and Personal Distress (PD).
MRI acquisition and analysis
The anatomical scans were acquired using a 3 Tesla whole-body scanner (Philips, Amsterdam, Netherlands) and a Sense-Head-32 channel coil. Structural images were acquired using a T1-weighted 3D turbo field echo (TFE) sequence consisting of 176 sagittal slices (TR=8.3 ms, TE= 3.9 ms, flip angle: 8°, FoV: 256 256 mm, voxel size: 1 x 1 x 1 mm). Acquisition time: 6 minutes. Preprocessing and structure volumes were generated using vol2Brain pipeline v.2.0. [https://volbrain.net].
Results:
Negative correlations between CR and anxiety, depression, and stress (Figure 1a). Positive correlations between ES and depression, anxiety, distress, and stress. Grouping based on CR and ES scores revealed higher stress in the low CR group and higher stress, anxiety, depression, and distress in the high ES group (Figure 1b).
Brain volume analysis showed positive correlations between state anxiety and specific frontal brain regions and hippocampus, PT and specific frontal regions and cingulate, and FS and specific frontal brain regions, all for the high ES group. Multiple linear regressions indicated predictive relationships between ES strategy groups, emotional well-being, and brain volume (Figure 2a and 2b).
Brain volume analysis showed positive correlations between state anxiety and specific frontal brain regions and hippocampus, PT and specific frontal regions and cingulate, and FS and specific frontal brain regions, all for the high ES group. Multiple linear regressions indicated predictive relationships between ES strategy groups, emotional well-being, and brain volume (Figure 2a and 2b).
Conclusions:
The results of this study emphasize the importance of the differential role of the ES strategy and its relationship on emotional well-being and brain volume.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Psychiatric (eg. Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia)
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Social Cognition
Emotion and Motivation Other 1
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
Anatomical MRI 2
Keywords:
Affective Disorders
Emotions
Other - emotional regulation, brain volume, well-being, expressive suppression, cognitive reappraisal, volBrain, cognitive empathy , perspective taking
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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3. Gross, J. J. (1998), ‘The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Review’, Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271-299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
4. Gross J. J. (2002), ‘Emotion regulation: affective, cognitive, and social consequences’, Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0048577201393198
5. Gross, J. J. (2003), ‘Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being’, Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
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