Developing connections for affective regulation: age-related changes in emotional brain connectivity

Abstract

The regulation of affective arousal is a critical aspect of children's social and cognitive development. However, few studies have examined the brain mechanisms involved in the development of this aspect of "hot" executive functioning. This process has been conceptualized as involving prefrontal control of the amygdala. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the brain mechanisms involved in the development of affective regulation in typically developing 5- to 11-year-olds and an adult comparison sample. Children and adults displayed differing patterns of increased anterior cingulate cortex and decreased amygdala activation during episodes in which emotion regulation was required. Specifically, amygdala activation increased in adults but decreased in children during recovery from a frustrating episode. In addition, we used effective connectivity analyses to investigate differential correlations between key emotional brain areas in response to the regulatory task demands. We found reliable increases in effective connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the amygdala during periods of increased demand for emotion regulation. This effective connectivity increased with age.

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1

A graphic representation of our go/no-go task. The paradigm was 12 minutes in length, for children, with 3 mood induction blocks and sporadic fearful faces presented as 1 second events.

Figure 2

Regions of the face processing system active to the 1 second presentation of faces for each emotion induction block. Fusiform gyrus activity remained equal across blocks, but amygdala activity varied according to task demand for both adults and children.

Figure 3

Granger causality mapping was employed to estimate differences in effective connectivity across blocks. Green represents active areas preceding left amygdala activity in each block. Peak anterior cingulate cortex connectivity voxel for children (Block 3: BA 32, x = −6, y = 38, z = 13).

Figure 4

Effective Connectivity from the anterior cingulated cortex/ inferior frontal gyrus to the left amygdala increased with age in children. Peak anterior cingulated cortex/inferior frontal gyrus connectivity voxel (Block 3: BA 32/47, x = 23, y = 31, z = −3).