Bad and worse: neural systems underlying reappraisal of high- and low-intensity negative emotions

Abstract

One of the most effective strategies for regulating emotional responses is cognitive reappraisal. While prior work has made great strides in characterizing reappraisal's neural mechanisms and behavioral outcomes, the key issue of how regulation varies as a function of emotional intensity remains unaddressed. We compared the behavioral and neural correlates of reappraisal of high- and low-intensity emotional responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found that successful reappraisal of both high- and low-intensity emotions depends upon recruitment of dorsomedial (dmPFC) as well as left dorsolateral (dlPFC) and ventrolateral (vlPFC) prefrontal cortex. However, reappraisal of high-intensity emotions more strongly activated left dlPFC, and in addition, activated right lateral and dorsomedial PFC regions not recruited by low-intensity reappraisal. No brain regions were more strongly recruited during reappraisal of low when compared with high-intensity emotions. Taken together, these results suggest that reappraisal of high-intensity emotion requires greater cognitive resources as evidenced by quantitative and qualitative differences in prefrontal recruitment. These data have implications for understanding how and when specific PFC systems are needed to regulate different types of emotional responses.

Keywords: emotional intensity; reappraisal.

© The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Figures

Fig. 1

Average negative affect ratings made in response to the four aversive trial types. Negative affect was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) by reappraisal in both intensity conditions. Percent decreases in negative affect due to reappraisal are noted.

Fig. 2

Brain regions that were similarly activated for reappraisal of high-intensity and low-intensity emotional responses (conjunction of ReappraiseHigh > LookHigh and ReappraiseLow > LookLow) are shown in yellow. Brain regions that were more active for reappraisal of high-intensity emotional responses than low-intensity emotional responses ([ReappraiseHigh > LookHigh]−[ReappraiseLow > LookLow]) are shown in red. High, high-intensity reappraisal contrast (ReappraiseHigh > LookHigh); Low, low-intensity reappraisal contrast (ReappraiseLow > LookLow).