1,721,076 research outputs found
Neurocognitive mechanisms of the emotional control of imitation
No full textFear conditioning, facial expression recognition, autonomic activation, and emotional memory have been studied extensively during the last thirty years, yet the precise relationship between emotions and the action system has not been systematically explored. To our knowledge, the only human studies explaining this issue all employ the fear-potentiated startle reflex paradigm. In these studies, emotions are viewed as a preparatory state evoked by threat cues. This preparatory state is usually elicited by very unpleasant pictures, and is indexed by changes in the amplitude of electromyographic signals recorded from muscles involved in the startle reflex. Thus studies reported only covert responses and failed to find emotional modulations of overt voluntary action triggered by aversive stimuli
Predicting real-time fMRI-based insula regulation from brain structure
No full textIn this study, we employed MVPA to investigate structural brain features predictive of successful real-time fMRI-based anterior insula regulation.
Our results indicate the main contribution of FPCN and
SN along with cerebellum to learned anterior insula
control. Altogether, our findings highlight specific regions involved in real-time fMRI-based emotion regulation and partial overlap with brain networks related to
cognitive emotion regulation
Mindfulness: moda o rivoluzione?
No full textMindfulness is a set of secular practices inspired by contemplative traditions to exercise consciousness. these practices are now a topic of considerable interest both among researchers and the general public, who see them as tools to foster mental well-being. in the article, we argue that this interest is not just a passing fashion, but instead it is the beginning of a major research direction that can bring new ways to in-terpret personal development. Here we present a historical and conceptual framework of mindfulness, the main psychological and brain mechanisms on which mindfulness 270 work, and finally some of the protocols that are emerging as more promising to increase well-being in individuals, with or without mental health issues.La mindfulness è un insieme di pratiche laiche di esercizio della consapevolezza ispirate a tradizioni contemplative. Queste pratiche sono oggi oggetto di un notevole interesse sia tra i ricercatori che nel pubblico in generale, che le vedono come strumenti per favorire il benessere mentale. Nell’articolo sosteniamo come questo interesse non sia una semplice moda passeggera, ma invece costituisca l’inizio di un importante filone di ricerca che può gettare luce su aspetti fondamentali dello sviluppo personale. Dopo un inquadramento storico e concettuale, vengono presentati i meccanismi psicologici e cerebrali principali su cui la mindfulness opera, e alcuni dei protocolli che stanno emergendo come più promettenti per il benessere dell’individuo sano e con patologia
Towards a psychology in shades of grey. An epistemological analysis
No full textAccording to Sergio Salvatore’s Psychology as science of the explanandum, there is an urgent need
of a rigorous language for the explanandum in psychology. This attitute is what Salvatore calls “psychology in
black and white”. In this paper, we point out that the epistemological method of explication may be a good
tool for the conceptual clarification of the terms that may work as the explanandum in a psychological explanation.
Two forms of explications are presented, Carnap’s explication and Kant’s explication. Differently
from Carnap’s explication, Kant’s explication does not necessarily require a process of formalization and, for
this reason, it may be much more suitable for clarifying complex psychological terms (possibly difficult to be
formalized). Still, formalization in psychology can accomplish a very important task. Abstracting by some aspects
of ‘reality’ (e.g., by some of its colours) we can better elucidate the deeper structure of reality (in black
and white) and, with sound epistemological methods, we can even imagine (using again Sergio Salvatore’s
metaphor of colours) to see reality in shades of grey
Per una metodologia della regolazione emozionale basata su principi psicodinamici
No full textDifferenti modelli di psicoterapia provenienti dai più svariati orientamenti teorici hanno nel tempo in- corporato principi e tecniche per migliorare la regolazione emozionale del paziente. Tuttavia, nell’ambito della psicoterapia psicodinamica, un chiaro tentativo di integrazione con le conoscenze de- rivanti dalla scienza della regolazione emozionale non è ancora stato fatto. Noi crediamo che la scienza psicodinamica possa offrire interessanti riflessioni su: 1) cosa debba essere regolato durante la regola- zione emozionale e 2) come ciò debba essere fatto (strategie e tecniche). In linea con i principi psicodi- namici, noi sosteniamo che la regolazione debba essere rivolta a due aspetti fondamentali di ogni condi- zione psicopatologica: l’eccessiva ansia elicitata dall’emergere di emozioni; e gli affetti difensivi, ovve- ro stati affettivi secondari creati dall’utilizzo di meccanismi di difesa patologici che sostituiscono e co- prono le emozioni originarie. Lo scopo della terapia è di regolare questi stati affettivi (regolazione emo- zionale propriamente detta, RE), e nel frattempo aiutare il paziente ad accedere, elaborare ed esprimere le emozioni primarie o reattive allo stimolo (esperienza emozionale, EE). Dopo alcune considerazioni teoriche, verrà proposta una metodologia di regolazione emozionale basata su principi psicodinamici ed esperienziali e una serie di tecniche che il clinico può utilizzare nel trattamento degli stati affettivi disre- golati, e che lo sperimentatore può testare nel laboratorio
‐based anterior insula regulation. A supervised machine learning study
No full textIncreasing evidence showed that learned control of metabolic activity in selected brain regions can support emotion regulation. Notably, a number of studies demonstrated that neurofeedback-based regulation of fMRI activity in several emotion-related areas leads to modifications of emotional behavior along with changes of neural activity in local and distributed networks, in both healthy individuals and individuals with emotional disorders. However, the current understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying self-regulation of the emotional brain, as well as their relationship with other emotion regulation strategies, is still limited. In this study, we attempted to delineate neuroanatomical regions mediating real-time fMRI-based emotion regulation by exploring whole brain GM and WM features predictive of self-regulation of anterior insula (AI) activity, a neuromodulation procedure that can successfully support emotional brain regulation in healthy individuals and patients. To this aim, we employed a multivariate kernel ridge regression model to assess brain volumetric features, at regional and network level, predictive of real-time fMRI-based AI regulation. Our results showed that several GM regions including fronto-occipital and medial temporal areas and the basal ganglia as well as WM regions including the fronto-occipital fasciculus, tapetum and fornix significantly predicted learned AI regulation. Remarkably, we observed a substantial contribution of the cerebellum in relation to both the most effective regulation run and average neurofeedback performance. Overall, our findings highlighted specific neurostructural features contributing to individual differences of AI-guided emotion regulation. Notably, such neuroanatomical topography partially overlaps with the neurofunctional network associated with cognitive emotion regulation strategies, suggesting common neural mechanisms
Reduced GM–WM concentration inside the Default Mode Network in individuals with high emotional intelligence and low anxiety: a data fusion mCCA+jICA approach
Get PDFThe concept of emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to recognize and regulate emotions to appropriately guide cognition and behaviour. Unfortunately, studies on the neural bases of EI are scant, and no study so far has exhaustively investigated grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) contributions to it. To fill this gap, we analysed trait measure of EI and structural MRI data from 128 healthy participants to shed new light on where and how EI is encoded in the brain. In addition, we explored the relationship between the neural substrates of trait EI and trait anxiety. A data fusion unsupervised machine learning approach (mCCA + jICA) was used to decompose the brain into covarying GM–WM networks and to assess their association with trait-EI. Results showed that high levels trait-EI are associated with decrease in GM–WM concentration in a network spanning from frontal to parietal and temporal regions, among which insula, cingulate, parahippocampal gyrus, cuneus and precuneus. Interestingly, we also found that the higher the GM–WM concentration in the same network, the higher the trait anxiety. These findings encouragingly highlight the neural substrates of trait EI and their relationship with anxiety. The network is discussed considering its overlaps with the Default Mode Network
Neurobiological Models of Emotion Regulation: a Meta-analysis of Neuroimaging Studies of Acceptance as an Emotion Regulation Strategy
No full textEmotional acceptance is an important emotion regulation strategy promoted by most psychotherapy approaches. We adopted the Activation Likelihood Estimation technique to obtain a quantitative summary of previous fMRI studies of acceptance and test different hypotheses on its mechanisms of action. The main meta-analysis included 13 experiments contrasting acceptance to control conditions, yielding a total of 422 subjects and 170 foci of brain activity. Additionally, sub-groups of studies with different control conditions (react naturally or focus on emotions) were identified and analysed separately. Our results showed executive areas to be affected by acceptance only in the subgroup of studies in which acceptance was compared to natural reactions. In contrast, a cluster of decreased brain activity located in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus was associated to acceptance regardless of the control condition. These findings suggest that high-level executive cortical processes are not a distinctive feature of acceptance, whereas functional deactivations in the PCC/precuneus constitute its specific neural substrate. The neuroimaging of emotional acceptance calls into question a key tenet of current neurobiological models of emotion regulation consisting in the necessary involvement of high-level executive processes to actively modify emotional states, suggesting a complementary role for limbic portions of the default system
Rethinking reappraisal: Insights from affective neuroscience
No full textKalisch et al. argue that appraisal and reappraisal are key mechanisms promoting resilience; however, experimental findings seem to contradict this simplistic view. We argue that a deeper look at affective neuroscience may provide complementary and stronger evidence on how emotional reactivity and emotion regulation may affect resilience
The neural bases of anger
No full textAnger is an intense emotional state of discomfort and hostility caused by perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. On one hand, anger helps us to reach our goals, overcome obstacles, and define boundaries; on the other hand, excessive externalization and internalization of anger and poor regulation abilities can lead to interpersonal problems and mental health issues. Therefore, it is crucial to advance our understanding of this emotion. This chapter focuses on the neural underpinnings of anger adopting a network perspective to cover several aspects of this complex emotion: from the perception of anger in others to the inner experience of anger, from its regulation to its conceptualization. Individual differences in trait anger, anger control, anger externalization and internalization, but also approach or withdrawal motives are also considered. By reviewing the existing experimental literature, the neural bases of every anger facet are discussed. Last but not least, the possibility of defining a “core” neural area subserving the different aspects of anger is discussed. The relevance of separating the several aspects of anger goes beyond a mere theoretical scope and has relevant translational implications. A roadmap of anger subcomponents can guide clinical research to help individuals suffering from specific anger-related issues. These implications are discussed for every anger component considered
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