Functional connectivity between right-lateralized ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and insula mediates reappraisal's
Wenjing Yang1, Hui Jia1, Qiuyang Feng1
1Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|May 21, 2021
Summary
Habitual use of reappraisal enhances memory control, particularly for negative memories. This improvement is linked to stronger brain connectivity between the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the right insula.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Memory control (MC) is vital for mental and physical health.
- Previous research suggested a link between MC and reappraisal, but experimental evidence was limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavioral and neural relationship between memory control and reappraisal.
- To explore how habitual reappraisal use influences the ability to control negative memories.
Main Methods:
- Assessed habitual reappraisal using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.
- Measured memory control via a directed forgetting task.
- Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine seed-based functional connectivity in 181 healthy adults.
Main Results:
- Increased reappraisal frequency correlated with enhanced control over negative memories.
- Habitual reappraisal showed a positive association with functional connectivity between the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and the right insula.
- This VLPFC-insula connectivity mediated the effect of reappraisal on negative memory control.
Conclusions:
- Habitual reappraisal is associated with improved memory control for negative items.
- The findings support reappraisal's role in enhancing inhibitory control, mediated by right VLPFC-insula connectivity.
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