Cognitive and neural contributors to emotion regulation in aging.
Abstract
Older adults, compared to younger adults, focus on emotional well-being. While the
lifespan trajectory of emotional processing and its regulation has been characterized
behaviorally, few studies have investigated the underlying neural mechanisms. Here,
older adults (range: 59-73 years) and younger adults (range: 19-33 years) participated
in a cognitive reappraisal task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
scanning. On each trial, participants viewed positive, negative or neutral pictures
and either naturally experienced the image ('Experience' condition) or attempted to
detach themselves from the image ('Reappraise' condition). Across both age groups,
cognitive reappraisal activated prefrontal regions similar to those reported in prior
studies of emotion regulation, while emotional experience activated the bilateral
amygdala. Psychophysiological interaction analyses revealed that the left inferior
frontal gyrus (IFG) and amygdala demonstrated greater inverse connectivity during
the 'Reappraise' condition relative to the 'Experience' condition. The only regions
exhibiting significant age differences were the left IFG and the left superior temporal
gyrus, for which greater regulation-related activation was observed in younger adults.
Controlling for age, increased performance on measures of cognition predicted greater
regulation-related decreases in amygdala activation. Thus, while older and younger
adults use similar brain structures for emotion regulation and experience, the functional
efficacy of those structures depends on underlying cognitive ability.
Type
Journal articleSubject
BrainHumans
Oxygen
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Brain Mapping
Emotions
Cognition
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychometrics
Aging
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Aged
Middle Aged
Female
Male
Statistics as Topic
Young Adult
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22544Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1093/scan/nsq030Publication Info
Winecoff, Amy; Labar, Kevin S; Madden, David J; Cabeza, Roberto; & Huettel, Scott
A (2011). Cognitive and neural contributors to emotion regulation in aging. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 6(2). pp. 165-176. 10.1093/scan/nsq030. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22544.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Roberto Cabeza
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
My laboratory investigates the neural correlates of memory and cognition in young
and older adults using fMRI. We have three main lines of research: First, we distinguish
the neural correlates of various episodic memory processes. For example, we have compared
encoding vs. retrieval, item vs. source memory, recall vs. recognition, true vs. false
memory, and emotional vs. nonemotional memory. We are particularly interested in the
contribution of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and medial temporal lobe (M
Scott Huettel
Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Research in my laboratory investigates the brain mechanisms underlying economic and
social decision making; collectively, this research falls into the field of “decision
neuroscience” or "neuroeconomics". My laboratory uses fMRI to probe brain function,
behavioral assays to characterize individual differences, and other physiological
methods (e.g., eye tracking, pharmacological manipulation, genetics) to link brain
and behavior. Concurrent with research on basic processes, my labo
Kevin S. LaBar
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
My research focuses on understanding how emotional events modulate cognitive processes
in the human brain. We aim to identify brain regions that encode the emotional properties
of sensory stimuli, and to show how these regions interact with neural systems supporting
social cognition, executive control, and learning and memory. To achieve this goal,
we use a variety of cognitive neuroscience techniques in human subject populations.
These include psychophysiological monitoring, functional magnetic
David Joseph Madden
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
My research focuses primarily on the cognitive neuroscience of aging: the investigation
of age-related changes in perception, attention, and memory, using both behavioral
measures and neuroimaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET),
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
The behavioral measures have focused on reaction time, with the goal of distinguishing
age-related changes in specific cognitive abilities from mo
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