1
|
Richter CG, Li CM, Turnbull A, Haft SL, Schneider D, Luo J, Lima DP, Lin FV, Davidson RJ, Hoeft F. Brain imaging studies of emotional well-being: a scoping review. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1328523. [PMID: 38250108 PMCID: PMC10799564 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1328523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This scoping review provides an overview of previous empirical studies that used brain imaging techniques to investigate the neural correlates of emotional well-being (EWB). We compiled evidence on this topic into one accessible and usable document as a foundation for future research into the relationship between EWB and the brain. PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed. We located relevant articles by searching five electronic databases with 95 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. We explored EWB measures, brain imaging modalities, research designs, populations studied, and approaches that are currently in use to characterize and understand EWB across the literature. Of the key concepts related to EWB, the vast majority of studies investigated positive affect and life satisfaction, followed by sense of meaning, goal pursuit, and quality of life. The majority of studies used functional MRI, followed by EEG and event-related potential-based EEG to study the neural basis of EWB (predominantly experienced affect, affective perception, reward, and emotion regulation). It is notable that positive affect and life satisfaction have been studied significantly more often than the other three aspects of EWB (i.e., sense of meaning, goal pursuit, and quality of life). Our findings suggest that future studies should investigate EWB in more diverse samples, especially in children, individuals with clinical disorders, and individuals from various geographic locations. Future directions and theoretical implications are discussed, including the need for more longitudinal studies with ecologically valid measures that incorporate multi-level approaches allowing researchers to better investigate and evaluate the relationships among behavioral, environmental, and neural factors. Systematic review registration https://osf.io/t9cf6/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline G. Richter
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Celine Mylx Li
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Adam Turnbull
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie L. Haft
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Deborah Schneider
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Jie Luo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Denise Pinheiro Lima
- Intensive Care Pediatrician, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Feng Vankee Lin
- CogT Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Richard J. Davidson
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States
- Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinanomachi Shinjuku Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|