Phase-synchronized brain connectivity during emotion regulation: attachment as a moderator

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Attachment Theory

Background:

• Emotion regulation is crucial for mental well-being.
• Attachment theory suggests individual differences in attachment influence emotional experiences and regulation.
• Neural mechanisms underlying emotion regulation may be shaped by attachment orientations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression affect brain connectivity.
• To determine if attachment anxiety and avoidance modulate neural connectivity during emotion regulation.
• To examine oscillatory brain connectivity in delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands.

Main Methods:

• Sixty adults underwent electroencephalography (EEG) during an emotion regulation task.
• Connectivity was measured using the debiased weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI).
• Linear mixed-effects models analyzed the impact of emotion regulation strategy and attachment on connectivity.

Main Results:

• Cognitive reappraisal enhanced theta-band connectivity, particularly between frontal and distributed sites.
• Expressive suppression increased beta-band connectivity involving frontal and central electrodes.
• Attachment anxiety correlated with reduced theta connectivity during reappraisal; avoidance correlated with increased beta connectivity during suppression.

Conclusions:

• Emotion regulation strategies utilize distinct brain networks.
• Attachment orientations significantly modulate these neural networks.
• Theta connectivity may support top-down control in reappraisal, while beta connectivity may facilitate inhibition in suppression.