The temporal dynamics of voluntary emotion regulation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Henrik Walter - , University of Bonn (Author)
  • Alexander von Kalckreuth - , Ulm University, Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Dina Schardt - , University of Bonn, Hannover Medical School (MHH) (Author)
  • Achim Stephan - , University Osnabruck (Author)
  • Thomas Goschke - , Chair of General Psychology (Author)
  • Susanne Erk - , University of Bonn (Author)

Abstract

Background: Neuroimaging has demonstrated that voluntary emotion regulation is effective in reducing amygdala activation to aversive stimuli during regulation. However, to date little is known about the sustainability of these neural effects once active emotion regulation has been terminated. Methodology/Principal Findings: We addressed this issue by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy female subjects. We performed an active emotion regulation task using aversive visual scenes (task 1) and a subsequent passive viewing task using the same stimuli (task 2). Here we demonstrate not only a significantly reduced amygdala activation during active regulation but also a sustained regulation effect on the amygdala in the subsequent passive viewing task. This effect was related to an immediate increase of amygdala signal in task 1 once active emotion regulation has been terminated: The larger this peak postregulation signal in the amygdala in task 1, the smaller the sustained regulation effect in task 2. Conclusions/Significance: In summary, we found clear evidence that effects of voluntary emotion regulation extend beyond the period of active regulation. These findings are of importance for the understanding of emotion regulation in general, for disorders of emotion regulation and for psychotherapeutic interventions.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere6726
JournalPloS one
Volume4
Issue number8
Publication statusPublished - 25 Aug 2009
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 21949675