The effect of strategies, goals and stimulus material on the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies
Abstract
Emotion regulation comprises all extrinsic and intrinsic control processes whereby people monitor, evaluate and modify the occurrence, intensity and duration of emotional reactions. Here we sought to quantitatively summarize the existing neuroimaging literature to investigate a) whether different emotion regulation strategies are based on different or the same neural networks; b) which brain regions in particular support the up- and down-regulation of emotions, respectively; and c) to which degree the neural networks realising emotion regulation depend on the stimulus material used to elicit emotions. The left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), the anterior insula and the supplementary motor area were consistently activated independent of the regulation strategy. VLPFC and posterior cingulate cortex were the main regions consistently found to be recruited during the up-regulation as well as the down-regulation of emotion. The down-regulation compared to the up-regulation of emotions was associated with more right-lateralized activity while up-regulating emotions more strongly modulated activity in the ventral striatum. Finally, the process of emotion regulation appeared to be unaffected by stimulus material.
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A meta-analysis of fMRI studies of emotion regulation found that all strategies aimed at downregulating negative emotions were collectively associated with increased BOLD signal in the vlPFC, dlPFC, and dmPFC.
“The most recent meta-analysis of fMRI studies of emotion regulation [118] found that all strategies aimed at downregulating negative emotions were collectively associated with increased BOLD signal in the following areas: ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC).”
From Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD (2022) · cites this paper as [118]
Activation during downregulation of negative emotions was also found in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, pre-supplementary motor area, left middle temporal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus.
“While these were the largest areas of convergence, activation was also found in other areas (i.e., the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, pre-supplementary motor area, left middle temporal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus).”
From Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD (2022) · cites this paper as [118]
Left IFG and left VLPFC activate during emotion regulation regardless of strategy, and both play a role in selective attention, response inhibition, and reorienting attention.
“left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG) and left VLPFC activate during emotion regulation regardless of strategy, but both regions present an important role on selective attention, response inhibition and reorienting attention42”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [42]
VLPFC mediates amygdala activity in response to negative stimuli.
“some studies demonstrated the role of VLPFC on mediating Amygdala activity in respect to negative stimuli41,42”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [42]
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“The most recent meta-analysis of fMRI studies of emotion regulation [118] found that all strategies aimed at downregulating negative emotions were collectively associated with increased BOLD signal in the following areas: ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and dorsomedial…”
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- Authors
- Morawetz, C., Bode, S., Derntl, B., & Heekeren, H. R.
- Affiliations
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Morawetz, Carmen
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 72
- Pages
- 111-128
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2552833581
- Cited by
- 458
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 51 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 43 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 6
- FWCI
- 2.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- emotion regulation, neural mechanisms, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, supplementary motor area, posterior cingulate cortex, ventral striatum, hemispheric lateralization, emotion regulation strategies
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Brain Mapping, Emotions, Goals, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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