Emotion regulation: From neural circuits to a transdiagnostic perspective

Abstract

Emotion regulation is a critical factor implicated in diverse psychopathologies. However, evidence for the transdiagnostic feature of emotion regulation remains inconclusive. This study explored whether emotion regulation warrants designation as a transdiagnostic construct by examining its distinct neural basis compared to constructs within the existing Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework and searching for convergent regional brain activity during emotion regulation across psychiatric disorders. Thus, a two-step analysis approach was implemented. First, using coordinate-based meta-analyses, we reanalysed data from ten prior meta-analyses covering current RDoC domains, assessing unique and overlapping brain regions associated with emotion regulation. This analysis included 3.463 experimental contrasts from 78.338 healthy adults. Results indicated that emotion regulation overlapped with each RDoC domain, especially for those related to cognitive and social processes, yet maintained distinct neural patterns, particularly involving the inferior frontal and medial frontal gyrus. Second, in a separate and the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date, we analysed the neural patterns of emotion regulation in clinical populations. This analysis included 3.576 experimental contrasts from 342 participants, contrasting brain activation patterns during emotion regulation in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders with healthy controls. The findings highlighted the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex's role in emotion regulation across psychiatric disorders. Taken together, these findings support the transdiagnostic nature of emotion regulation by demonstrating its unique neural underpinnings within the RDoC framework and across psychiatric disorders. Recognising the critical importance of emotion regulation in both health and disease may help refine diagnostic criteria and develop treatment strategies, improving mental health outcomes through tailored therapeutic approaches.