Changes in neural activity during the combining affect labeling and reappraisal

Reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy, is an effective way of controlling negative emotions. Conversely, it is known that affect labeling regulates negative emotions using a different process from reappraisal, and it is possible that the combined use of affect labeling and reappraisal might enhance the control of negative emotion. In this study, we compared the brain activity during combined use of affect labeling and reappraisal to negative emotion with the sole use of reappraisal by using fMRI. The participants performed a reappraisal after affect labeling to negative emotion which induced by negative image. In comparison to the sole use of reappraisal, increased activity was found in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and medial frontal gyrus, whereas decreased activity in the right amygdala. Furthermore, based on the results of a functional connectivity analysis using the seed region of the right amygdala, it was determined that coupling with the right amygdala increases due to the combined use of affect labeling and reappraisal. The results reveal that affect labeling of negative emotion potentially effects on reappraisal, which has implications for the more effective use of reappraisal.