Poster No:
1680
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Agnieszka Adamczyk1,2, Miroslaw Wyczesany3,2
Institutions:
1Jagiellonian University, Krakow, malopolskie, 2Institute of Psychology, Krakow, Poland, 3Jagiellonian University, Krakow, MLP
First Author:
Co-Author:
Miroslaw Wyczesany
Jagiellonian University|Institute of Psychology
Krakow, MLP|Krakow, Poland
Introduction:
Effective emotional control is central to well-being. Recently, it has been shown that emotional control processes can be initiated automatically, i.e., without conscious and deliberate attempts, and that such implicit emotional control relies on cognitive control brain networks (Adamczyk & Wyczesany, 2023) and, at least partly, shares neuronal mechanisms with explicit forms of emotional control (e.g., reappraisal; Wyczesany et al., 2021). The aim of the present study was to further our understanding of the role of the (left and right) DLPFC, the crucial hub of the frontoparietal cognitive control brain network, in instigating top-down downregulatory effects on emotional and attentional systems after implicit induction of emotional control.
Methods:
To this end, we inhibited activity of the left and right DLPFC using cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) before implementation of emotional control in a double-blind, sham-controlled, within-subject study design. Thirty-five participants unscrambled sentences of either neutral (no-regulation condition) or neutral and self-control-related content (implicit emotional control condition) before passively viewing negative pictures (see Wyczesany et al., 2021, Adamczyk & Wyczesany, 2023). EEG source-based effective connectivity (based on Granger causality) was measured in the frontoparietal and cinguloopercular cognitive control networks and the perceptual/attentional brain networks during the implementation of emotional control. Late Positive Potential (LPP) amplitude was measured to verify the effects on emotional arousal.
Results:
Replicating previous findings, implicit emotional control decreased the LPP amplitude, indicating successful emotion downregulation, and increased connectivity within both cognitive control networks compared to the no-regulation condition in the sham session. Enhanced connectivity was observed in the theta frequency band (3–7 Hz) from the right DLPFC to the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS; frontoparietal network) and from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex to the right insula/frontal operculum (cingulo-opercular network). Moreover, implicit emotional control increased downstream influence from the frontoparietal network towards the visual system in the beta band (15–30 Hz). Increased connectivity was observed from the left IPS to the right primary visual cortex and the left precuneus. All these effects were abolished after stimulation of both right and left DLPFC.
Conclusions:
Our study shows the causal role of the bilateral DLPFC in automatic control of emotions. By revealing connectivity profile of successful emotional control, our findings provide mechanistic targets for stimulation-based therapies that could enhance effectiveness of implicit emotion regulation in psychopathologies.
Brain Stimulation:
TDCS 2
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Emotional Perception
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
EEG/MEG Modeling and Analysis 1
Keywords:
Cortex
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
Emotions
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
Adamczyk, A. K. (2023), 'Theta-band connectivity within cognitive control brain networks suggests common neural mechanisms for cognitive and implicit emotional control', Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 35, no. 10, pp. 1656–1669. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02034
Wyczesany, M. (2020), 'Implicit induction of emotional control. A comparative fMRI investigation of self-control and reappraisal goal pursuit', Emotion, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 1379–1391. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000852