The Association of Emotion Regulation with Distress Tolerance Depends on a Neural Correlate of Cognitive Control

Emotion regulation strategies explain associations of theta and Beta with positive affect

Maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies are a transdiagnostic construct in psychopathology. ER depends on cognitive control, so brain activity associated with cognitive control, such as frontal theta and beta, may be a factor in ER. This study investigated the association of theta and beta power with positive affect and whether emotion regulation strategies explain this association. One hundred and twenty-one undergraduate students (mean age = 20.74, SD = 5.29; 73% women) completed self-report questionnaires, including the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Spectral analysis was performed on resting state frontal electroencephalogram activity that was collected for eight 1-min periods of alternating open and closed eyes. Relative beta and theta band power were extracted relative to global field power at frontal channels. Regression analysis revealed that positive affect is significantly predicted by theta power (β = 0.24, p = .007) and beta power (β = -0.33, p < .0001). There was an indirect effect of beta power on positive affect via reappraisal, but not suppression. Additionally, theta power significantly predicted suppression, but no indirect effect was observed between theta power and positive affect. These findings are consistent with a prior study reporting a positive and negative relationship between theta and beta power, respectively, and positive affect induction. This study elucidates how modulation of theta and beta bands link to ER strategies.

I know why the caged bird sings: Distress tolerant individuals show greater resting state connectivity between ventromedial prefrontal cortex and right amygdala as a function of higher vagal tone

BACKGROUND

Intolerance to psychological distress is associated with various forms of psychopathology, ranging from addiction to mood disturbance. The capacity to withstand aversive affective states is often explained by individual differences in cardiovagal tone as well as resting state connectivity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a region involved in the regulation of emotions and cardio-autonomic tone. However, it is unclear which brain regions involved in distress tolerance show greater resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) as a function of resting heart rate variability (HRV).

METHODS

One-hundred and twenty-six adults, aged 20 to 83.5 years, were selected from a lifespan cohort at the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample. Participants' distress tolerance levels were assessed based upon performance on the Behavioral Indicator of Resiliency to Distress (BIRD) task. Artifact-free resting-state functional brain scans collected during separate sessions were used. While inside the scanner, a pulse oximeter was used to record beat-to-beat intervals to derive high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV). The relationship between HF-HRV and vmPFC to whole brain functional connectivity was compared between distress tolerant (BIRD completers) and distress intolerant (BIRD non-completers).

RESULTS

Groups did not differ in their history of psychiatric diagnosis. Higher resting HF-HRV was associated with longer total time spent on the BIRD task for the entire sample (r = 0.255, p = 0.004). After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, head motion, and gray matter volume. Distress tolerant individuals showed greater rsFC (p < 0.005 (uncorrected), k = 20) between the vmPFC and default-mode network (DMN) hubs including posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, medial temporal lobes, and the parahippocampal cortex. As a function of higher resting HF-HRV greater vmPFC connectivity was observed with sub-threshold regions in the right amygdala and left anterior prefrontal cortex, with the former passing small volume correction, in distress tolerant versus distress intolerant individuals.

CONCLUSION

In a lifespan sample of community-dwelling adults, distress tolerant individuals showed greater vmPFC connectivity with anterior and posterior hubs of the DMN compared to distress intolerant individuals. As a function of greater HF-HRV, distress tolerant individuals evidenced greater vmPFC with salience and executive control network hubs. These findings are consistent with deficits in neural resource allocation within a triple network resting amongst persons exhibiting behavioral intolerance to psychological distress.