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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotion Regulation
Published on: August 26, 2011
Functional neuroimaging studies of aging and emotion: fronto-amygdalar differences during emotional perception and
Peggy L St Jacques1, Brandy Bessette-Symons, Roberto Cabeza
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. peggy.st.jacques@duke.edu
Abstract:
Emotional processes are enhanced in aging, such that aging is characterized by superior emotional regulation. This article provides a brief review of the neural bases supporting this effect with a focus on functional neuroimaging studies of perception and episodic memory. The most consistent finding across these studies is that older adults show an alteration in the recruitment of the amygdala, but greater recruitment of the frontal cortex. These Fronto-amygdalar Age-related Differences in Emotion (FADE) may reflect emotional regulation strategies mediated by frontal brain regions that dampen emotion-related activations in the amygdala.
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