Psychology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Mar 1;67(5):406-13. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.014. Epub 2009 Dec 9.
Failure to self-regulate after an interpersonal conflict can result in persistent negative mood and maladaptive behaviors. Research indicates that lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) activity is related to emotion regulation in response to laboratory-based affective challenges, such as viewing emotional pictures. This suggests that compromised LPFC function may be a risk factor for mood and behavior problems after an interpersonal conflict. However, it remains unclear whether LPFC activity to a laboratory-based affective challenge predicts self-regulation in real life.
We investigated whether LPFC activity to a laboratory-based affective challenge (negative facial expressions of a partner) predicts self-regulation after a real-life affective challenge (interpersonal conflict). During a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, healthy, adult participants in committed relationships (n = 27) viewed positive, negative, and neutral facial expressions of their partners. In a three-week online daily diary, participants reported conflict occurrence, level of negative mood, rumination, and substance use.
LPFC activity in response to the laboratory-based affective challenge predicted self-regulation after an interpersonal conflict in daily life. When there was no interpersonal conflict, LPFC activity was not related to mood or behavior the next day. However, when an interpersonal conflict did occur, ventral LPFC (VLPFC) activity predicted mood and behavior the next day, such that lower VLPFC activity was related to higher levels of negative mood, rumination, and substance use.
Low LPFC function may be a vulnerability and high LPFC function may be a protective factor for the development of mood and behavior problems after an interpersonal stressor.
人际冲突后无法进行自我调节可能会导致持续的负面情绪和适应不良行为。研究表明，外侧前额叶皮层（LPFC）的活动与对实验室情感挑战（如观看情绪图片）的情绪调节有关。这表明 LPFC 功能受损可能是人际冲突后情绪和行为问题的一个风险因素。然而，LPFC 对实验室情感挑战的活动是否能预测现实生活中的自我调节仍不清楚。
我们研究了 LPFC 对实验室情感挑战（伴侣的负面面部表情）的活动是否能预测现实生活中的情感挑战（人际冲突）后的自我调节。在功能磁共振成像扫描期间，有承诺关系的健康成年参与者（n=27）观看了伴侣的积极、消极和中性面部表情。在为期三周的在线日常日记中，参与者报告了冲突的发生、负面情绪、沉思和物质使用的程度。
LPFC 对实验室情感挑战的反应活动预测了人际冲突后日常生活中的自我调节。当没有人际冲突时，LPFC 活动与第二天的情绪或行为无关。然而，当确实发生人际冲突时，腹侧 LPFC（VLPFC）的活动预测了第二天的情绪和行为，即较低的 VLPFC 活动与较高的负面情绪、沉思和物质使用有关。
LPFC 功能低下可能是易感性因素，而 LPFC 功能较高可能是人际压力源后情绪和行为问题发展的保护因素。
