Machiavellian emotion regulation in a cognitive reappraisal task: An fMRI study

Machiavellianism: Psychological, Clinical, and Neural Correlations

Machiavellianism is a personality trait that denotes cunning, manipulative ability, and a desire to gain power by any possible means. Machiavellianism is a subclinical form of psychopathy that has an impact on individual health, professional settings and social order. Machiavellians are more at risk of developing anxiety and depression; however, the underpinning mechanism has not been studied clearly. To avoid major mental health illnesses, it is critical to understand the psychological reasons, brain areas involved, and biochemical substrates for the development of Machiavellianism. This review will address the psychological, clinical and neural correlations of Machiavellianism, its impact on society, and highlight loopholes in comprehending the development of Machiavellianism.

Neural modulation enhancement using connectivity-based EEG neurofeedback with simultaneous fMRI for emotion regulation

Emotion regulation plays a key role in human behavior and overall well-being. Neurofeedback is a non-invasive self-brain training technique used for emotion regulation to enhance brain function and treatment of mental disorders through behavioral changes. Previous neurofeedback research often focused on using activity from a single brain region as measured by fMRI or power from one or two EEG electrodes. In a new study, we employed connectivity-based EEG neurofeedback through recalling positive autobiographical memories and simultaneous fMRI to upregulate positive emotion. In our novel approach, the feedback was determined by the coherence of EEG electrodes rather than the power of one or two electrodes. We compared the efficiency of this connectivity-based neurofeedback to traditional activity-based neurofeedback through multiple experiments. The results showed that connectivity-based neurofeedback effectively improved BOLD signal change and connectivity in key emotion regulation regions such as the amygdala, thalamus, and insula, and increased EEG frontal asymmetry, which is a biomarker for emotion regulation and treatment of mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression and coherence among EEG channels. The psychometric evaluations conducted both before and after the neurofeedback experiments revealed that participants demonstrated improvements in enhancing positive emotions and reducing negative emotions when utilizing connectivity-based neurofeedback, as compared to traditional activity-based and sham neurofeedback approaches. These findings suggest that connectivity-based neurofeedback may be a superior method for regulating emotions and could be a useful alternative therapy for mental disorders, providing individuals with greater control over their brain and mental functions.

Decoding reappraisal and suppression from neural circuits: A combined supervised and unsupervised machine learning approach

Emotion regulation is a core construct of mental health and deficits in emotion regulation abilities lead to psychological disorders. Reappraisal and suppression are two widely studied emotion regulation strategies but, possibly due to methodological limitations in previous studies, a consistent picture of the neural correlates related to the individual differences in their habitual use remains elusive. To address these issues, the present study applied a combination of unsupervised and supervised machine learning algorithms to the structural MRI scans of 128 individuals. First, unsupervised machine learning was used to separate the brain into naturally grouping grey matter circuits. Then, supervised machine learning was applied to predict individual differences in the use of different strategies of emotion regulation. Two predictive models, including structural brain features and psychological ones, were tested. Results showed that a temporo-parahippocampal-orbitofrontal network successfully predicted the individual differences in the use of reappraisal. Differently, insular and fronto-temporo-cerebellar networks successfully predicted suppression. In both predictive models, anxiety, the opposite strategy, and specific emotional intelligence factors played a role in predicting the use of reappraisal and suppression. This work provides new insights regarding the decoding of individual differences from structural features and other psychologically relevant variables while extending previous observations on the neural bases of emotion regulation strategies.

The role of oxytocin in modulating self-other distinction in human brain: a pharmacological fMRI study

Self-other distinction is crucial for human interaction. Although with conflicting results, studies have found that oxytocin (OT) sharpens the self-other perceptual boundary. However, little is known about the effect of OT on self-other perception, especially its neural basis. Moreover, it is unclear whether OT influences self-other discrimination when the other is a child or an adult. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of OT on self-face perception at the behavioral and neural levels. For the stimuli, we morphed participants' faces and child or adult strangers' faces, resulting in 4 conditions. After treatment with either OT or placebo, participants reported whether a stimulus resembled themselves while being scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Behavioral results showed that people judged adult-morphed faces better than child-morphed faces. Moreover, fMRI results showed that the OT group exhibited increased activity in visual areas and the inferior frontal gyrus for self-faces. This difference was more pronounced in the adult-face condition. In multivariate fMRI and region of interest analyses, better performance in the OT group indicated that OT increased self-other distinction, especially for adult faces and in the left hemisphere. Our study shows a significant effect of OT on self-referential processes, proving the potential effect of OT on a left hemisphere self-network.

Probing fMRI brain connectivity and activity changes during emotion regulation by EEG neurofeedback

Despite the existence of several emotion regulation studies using neurofeedback, interactions among a small number of regions were evaluated, and therefore, further investigation is needed to understand the interactions of the brain regions involved in emotion regulation. We implemented electroencephalography (EEG) neurofeedback with simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a modified happiness-inducing task through autobiographical memories to upregulate positive emotion. Then, an explorative analysis of whole brain regions was done to understand the effect of neurofeedback on brain activity and the interaction of whole brain regions involved in emotion regulation. The participants in the control and experimental groups were asked to do emotion regulation while viewing positive images of autobiographical memories and getting sham or real (based on alpha asymmetry) EEG neurofeedback, respectively. The proposed multimodal approach quantified the effects of EEG neurofeedback in changing EEG alpha power, fMRI blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity of prefrontal, occipital, parietal, and limbic regions (up to 1.9% increase), and functional connectivity in/between prefrontal, parietal, limbic system, and insula in the experimental group. New connectivity links were identified by comparing the brain functional connectivity between experimental conditions (Upregulation and View blocks) and also by comparing the brain connectivity of the experimental and control groups. Psychometric assessments confirmed significant changes in positive and negative mood states in the experimental group by neurofeedback. Based on the exploratory analysis of activity and connectivity among all brain regions involved in emotion regions, we found significant BOLD and functional connectivity increases due to EEG neurofeedback in the experimental group, but no learning effect was observed in the control group. The results reveal several new connections among brain regions as a result of EEG neurofeedback which can be justified according to emotion regulation models and the role of those regions in emotion regulation and recalling positive autobiographical memories.

The neural correlates of context driven changes in the emotional response: An fMRI study

Emotional flexibility reflects the ability to adjust the emotional response to the changing environmental context. To understand how context can trigger a change in emotional response, i.e., how it can upregulate the initial emotional response or trigger a shift in the valence of emotional response, we used a task consisting of picture pairs during functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions. In each pair, the first picture was a smaller detail (a decontextualized photograph depicting emotions using primarily facial and postural expressions) from the second (contextualized) picture, and the neural response to a decontextualized picture was compared with the same picture in a context. Thirty-one healthy participants (18 females; mean age: 24.44 ± 3.4) were involved in the study. In general, context (vs. pictures without context) increased activation in areas involved in facial emotional processing (e.g., middle temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and temporal pole) and affective mentalizing (e.g., precuneus, temporoparietal junction). After excluding the general effect of context by using an exclusive mask with activation to context vs. no-context, the automatic shift from positive to negative valence induced by the context was associated with increased activation in the thalamus, caudate, medial frontal gyrus and lateral orbitofrontal cortex. When the meaning changed from negative to positive, it resulted in a less widespread activation pattern, mainly in the precuneus, middle temporal gyrus, and occipital lobe. Providing context cues to facial information recruited brain areas that induced changes in the emotional responses and interpretation of the emotional situations automatically to support emotional flexibility.

Self- and Situation-Focused Reappraisal are not homogeneous: Evidence from behavioral and brain networks

Reappraisal is an effective emotion regulation strategy which can be divided into self- and situation-focused subtypes. Previous studies have produced inconsistent findings on the moderating effects and neural mechanisms of reappraisal; thus, further research is necessary to clarify these inconsistencies. In this study, a total of 44 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. 23 participants were assigned to the self-focused group, while 21 participants were assigned to the situation-focused group. The participants' resting EEG data were collected for 6 minutes before the experiment began, followed by an emotional regulation task. During this task, participants were asked to view emotion-provoking images under four emotion regulation conditions (View, Watch, Increase, and Decrease). Late positive potential (LPP) was obtained when these emotional images were observed. LPP is an effective physiological indicator of emotion regulation, enabling this study to explore emotion regulation under different reappraisal strategies, as well as the functional connectivity and node efficiency within the brain. It was found that, in terms of the effect on emotion regulation, situation-focused reappraisal was significantly better than self-focused reappraisal at enhancing the valence of negative emotion, while self-focused reappraisal was significantly better than situation-focused reappraisal at increasing the arousal of negative emotion. In terms of neural mechanisms, multiple brain regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex, the frontal lobe, the parahippocampal gyrus, parts of the temporal lobe, and parts of the parietal lobe were involved in both reappraisal processes. In addition, there were some differences in brain regions associated with different forms of cognitive reappraisal. Self-focused reappraisal was associated with the posterior cingulate gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and lingual gyrus, and situation-focused reappraisal was associated with the parietal lobule, anterior central gyrus, and angular gyrus. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that self- and situation-focused reappraisal are not homogenous in terms of their effects and neural mechanisms and clarifies the uncertainties over their regulatory effects. Different types of reappraisal activate different brain regions when used, and the functional connectivity or node efficiency of these brain regions seems to be a suitable indicator for assessing the effects of different types of reappraisal.

Functional connectivity between right-lateralized ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and insula mediates reappraisal's link to memory control

BACKGROUND

Memory control (MC) ability is critical for people's mental and physical health. Previous research had conceptually demonstrated that MC ability has close relationship with reappraisal. However, experimental evidence supporting the relationship was limited. Thus, in the present study, we investigated how MC and reappraisal are linked, both in behavior and in the brain.

METHODS

The habitual use of reappraisal was assessed by Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and memory control ability was measured through directed forgetting task. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to test the seed-based functional connectivity in 181 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

Behavioral results revealed that more frequent reappraisal was associated with an enhanced ability to control negative memories. Resting-state seed-based functional connectivity showed that habitual use of reappraisal was positively related to the strength of functional connectivity between the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and right insula. Most importantly, this functional connectivity mediated the effect of habitual use of reappraisal on control over negative memories.

LIMITATIONS

Present results mainly showed the habitual use of reappraisal was related with MC ability in negative items. Future study could further explore the relationship between MC ability of different categories of negative emotional memories and other kinds of ER strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the notion that reappraisal provides opportunities for individuals to practice and enhance inhibitory control-a relationship underpinned by connectivity between the right VLPFC and right insula.

Unhealthy parenting strategies: Situational (Dis-)Incentives, Machiavellian personality, and their interaction on misuse of ADHD medication for healthy children

Some parents engage in the potentially unhealthy and morally debateable parenting practice of giving prescription stimulant drugs to healthy children to boost their school and extracurricular performance. However, the parents' underlying reasoning remains unexamined. This web-based study (N_Respondents = 1360) simultaneously investigates eight experimentally-varied situational (dis-)incentives (e.g., financial gains and drug properties) within a factorial vignette survey (N_Vignettes = 256), Machiavellianism as a measured socially relevant personality trait, and possible interaction effects. Results show that approximately 40% of the described situations (N_Evaluations = 5440) provoked some willingness to medicate healthy children. Multilevel mixed-effect models revealed that this willingness was higher, for example, with increasing financial gains and weaker side effects. Machiavellians disclosed a higher willingness. They were more responsive to financial gains and threats (e.g., probable side effects). Respondents' sex, age, ethnicity, and experience with prescription drugs also had effects. Prevention measures might emphasize the dangers and limited potential of prescription drugs for healthy children.

Be aware, make it clear, and take the Lead: emotion regulation difficulties and emotional intelligence as moderators of cognitive reappraisal

Two research traditions explain the way we deal with emotional situations: emotional intelligence (EI) and emotion regulation (ER). EI refers to the individual differences in the knowledge, identification, and regulation of emotions. ER describes processes in which emotions are experienced, expressed, and altered. Our study examined the EI-ER link and their moderating role on affective responses. We used self-report questionnaires and a cognitive reappraisal (CR) task, in which subjective affective responses were registered. We found that higher levels of ER difficulties correlated with lower EI. Gender had an overall impact on affective changes, indicating a more unpleasant and more arousing affective state for women compared with men. Regarding the moderating role of EI and ER difficulties, the ability to utilize emotions (Utilization) decreased the valence into a more unpleasant direction, similar to the effect of the inability to identify and differentiate emotions (Clarity). A weak control over emotions (Impulse), however, increased the valence into a more pleasant direction. The lack of attention to emotional signals (Awareness) marginally decreased the initial intensity (i.e., lower level of arousal). We demonstrated that EI and ER have distinctive routes and a different influence on the affective outcome defined by valence and arousal ratings: (1) EI has an impact through the utilization of emotions mainly on the valence dimension; and (2) individual differences in ER have a moderating effect on both valence and arousal dimensions. This study provided evidence on how individual differences contribute to a successful ER process when using a CR strategy.

Neural correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation associated with treatment response in a randomized clinical trial for posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition often associated with difficulty in emotion regulation, including reappraising negative emotions. This study assessed neural mechanisms associated with emotion regulation in veterans prior to and following treatment for PTSD. Participants with PTSD and combat exposed controls (CC) completed diagnostic evaluation and underwent fMRI scanning while completing Emotion Regulation Task (ERT) and Emotional Faces Assessment Task (EFAT). Participants with PTSD were randomly assigned to Prolonged Exposure plus placebo (PE+PLB), Sertraline plus enhanced medication management (SERT+EMM), or PE plus SERT (PE+SERT) and repeated diagnostic evaluation and MRI scanning following treatment. The amygdala, dmPFC, and dlPFC were examined as regions of interest. On ERT, veterans with PTSD showed significantly less dmPFC activation than CCs during reappraisal vs emotional maintenance. Within the PTSD group, results demonstrated a significant association between less activation in the dmPFC during emotion reappraisal vs maintenance trials before treatment and greater reductions in symptoms from pre- to post-treatment. During the EFAT, there were no group differences between participants with PTSD and CCs in brain activation, and no relationships between brain function and PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that less emotional reactivity might potentially reflect less need for recruitment of prefrontal regions when reappraising negative emotion, and is an individual factor associated with better treatment outcome.

Do It, Don't Feel It, and Be Invincible: A Prolog of Exercise Addiction in Endurance Sports

The social relevance of endurance sports has increased people's motivation to engage in these particular physical activities, associating their practice with a particular lifestyle (e.g., feeling victorious and a feeling of self-improvement). Therefore, the dark personality traits (not because they are negative but because they are more hidden), understood as a personal and adaptive response to the psychosocial relationships that athletes establish while practicing these sports. Following these arguments, Grit has been used to trace the response of athletes in their quest to improve performance and endurance in the face of common setbacks suffered as a result of long hours of training. Empirical studies should help to discover how these personality traits can pose real challenges to their adaptation, and what the impact of their psychological response may be in a functional or dysfunctional way [e.g., exercise addiction (EA)], in order to classify them as risk or protective factors. Through transversal design, the present study sought to explore the relationship between Grit and Dark Traits of Personality regarding the appearance of EA in a sample (N = 241) of amateur endurance sport athletes (M age = 31.80; SD = 9.87). The results show that men not only score higher for addiction levels but also for narcissism (grandiosity feelings) and psychopathy (coldness) factors. If signs of narcissism and Machiavellianism increase, perseverance efforts grow too, and the likelihood of EA increases considerably. The conclusions drawn on the basis of the results allow us to place consistency of interest as a protective factor for the EA, whereas Dark Traits of personality - especially Machiavellianism - constitute a risk factor.