Neural Correlates of Emotional Regulation in Response to Stress: an Fmri Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/a51r1c79Keywords:
Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Reappraisal, Expressive Suppression, Acute Stress, Fmri, Prefrontal-Limbic ConnectivityAbstract
Effective emotion regulation is essential for adaptive functioning, yet its neural mechanisms under acute stress remain incompletely understood. The present study investigated how acute stress influences the neural and behavioral correlates of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Sixty healthy adults completed two experimental sessions-stress and control-during which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while participants performed an emotional regulation task involving negative and neutral images. Stress was induced using a modified Trier Social Stress Test, and participants rated their emotional intensity following each trial. Behavioral results indicated that cognitive reappraisal consistently reduced negative affect relative to passive viewing, whereas expressive suppression yielded intermediate effects. Acute stress increased overall emotional intensity but did not abolish regulatory capacity. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that passive viewing of negative stimuli activated limbic regions including the amygdala and anterior insula, while reappraisal engaged dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices and the anterior cingulate cortex. Stress enhanced limbic responses and attenuated prefrontal activation, suggesting partial disruption of top-down control mechanisms. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated reduced coupling between prefrontal and amygdala regions under stress, particularly in individuals with higher trait anxiety, whereas resilient participants maintained stronger prefrontal-limbic communication. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between situational stress and individual differences in modulating emotion regulation, providing insights into the neural substrates that support adaptive regulation under challenging conditions. The results have implications for interventions targeting stress resilience and cognitive control of emotion in both healthy and clinical populations.
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