Cited by 385Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorBehavioral Health and Interventions

The anterior cingulate gyrus and the mechanism of self-regulation

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POSNER, M. I., ROTHBART, M. K., SHEESE, B. E., TANG, Y.·2007·Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience

Abstract

The midfrontal cortex, and particularly the anterior cingulate gyrus, appears active in many studies of functional imaging. Various models have competed to explain the functions of the anterior cingulate in relation to its patterns of activation. We believe that the concept of self-regulation is valuable in considering the role of the cingulate. The sensitivity of the cingulate to both reward and pain, and evidence for cingulate coupling to cognitive and emotional areas during task performance, support this identification. Self-regulation is a very broad concept that does not lend itself very well to specific models or tests, but it does provide a framework for examining development. We trace the role of the midfrontal cortex in evolution and infant development. Both genes and environment influence self-regulation. The presence of both genetic and environmental effects raises the issue of their interaction, which we discuss in relation to the dopamine 4 receptor gene and parenting methods. The role of the midfrontal cortex in self-regulation allows us to consider both brain networks common to all people and network efficiency underlying individual differences in behavior.

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  • A core set of brain areas involved in self-referential processing has been identified through neuroimaging studies using various modalities.

    “A core set of brain areas involved in self-referential processing has been identified through neuroimaging studies using various modalities (Lou et al., 2017; Posner et al., 2007).”

    From Conscious Processing and the Global Neuronal Workspace Hypothesis (2020) · cites this paper as Posner et al., 2007

    The Abstract and ‘Self-Regulation and the ACC’ section describe imaging evidence linking the anterior cingulate to self-regulation and report its activation during theory-of-mind tasks. They do not identify a core set of areas for self-referential processing or establish that such a set was found using various neuroimaging modalities. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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  • The anterior cingulate cortex is a critical region for executive attention, cognitive control, and self-regulation.

    “The anterior cingulate cortex is implied as a critical region for executive attention, cognitive control, and self-regulation (15, 22, 48, 49)”

    From Multimodal imaging of the self-regulating developing brain (2012) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Brain systems activated in self-regulation cover ACC/mPFC and striatum.

    “Similarly, brain systems shown to be activated in the broad construct of self-regulation cover the same ACC/mPFC and striatum [7,14,15].”
  • The overlap of brain regions for attention control and self-regulation suggests a neurobiological pathway by which mindfulness meditation could exert influence.

    “Thus, the overlap of brain regions associated with attention control and self-regulation suggests a neurobiological pathway whereby mindfulness meditation could exert its influences [2,15].”

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2 of the 55 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [48]48. Sheese, B. E., Voelker, P., Rothbart, M. K., & Posner, M. I. (in press). Caregiver quality interacts with genetic variation to influence aspects of toddler temperament. Development & Psychopathology.
  2. [49]49. Whittle, S. L. (2007). The neurobiological correlates of temperament in early adolescents. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne, Australia.

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Authors
POSNER, M. I., ROTHBART, M. K., SHEESE, B. E., & TANG, Y.
Affiliations
University of Oregon (US)
Corresponding author
POSNER, M. I.
Venue
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
Published
2007-12-01
Volume
7
Issue
4
Pages
391-395
ISSN
  • 1530-7026 (ISSN-L)
  • 1531-135X
OpenAlex
W1984271517
Cited by
385
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 37
FWCI
1.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD5801)
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 › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Keywords
anterior cingulate cortex, self-regulation, reward sensitivity, pain sensitivity, cognitive control, emotion regulation, brain evolution, infant development, gene-environment interaction, dopamine D4 receptor gene, parenting, individual differences, brain networks
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Behavior, Animal, Cognition, Genetics, Humans, Infant, Nerve Net, Prefrontal Cortex

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