Kida Ikuhiro, Hoshi Yoko
Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871,Japan.
Integrated Neuroscience Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0871, Japan.
Neurosci Lett. 2016 Feb 26;615:92-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.01.009. Epub 2016 Jan 12.
Emotion plays an important role in goal-directed behavior. Although numerous neuroimaging studies have been conducted, the neural mechanisms behind emotion generation and regulation are still elusive. This is partly explained by large individual variations in emotional responses in addition to the fact that emotion is a complex process. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study aimed firstly to specify valence-dependent brain activation, and secondly to clarify the interactions between the regions underlying emotional processing. We measured brain activation in 12 healthy adults while passively viewing affective pictures. The individual valence ratings were negatively correlated with activation in the frontal, parietal, occipital lobes, and in the subcortical regions including the amygdalae. The parametric mediation analysis performed on these regions showed that the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 47) was main mediator of the valence ratings with other regions. Interestingly, there was no mediator region for the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. These results indicated the possibility that the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex mainly participated in the integration of visually induced emotional processes in the valence dimension.
情绪在目标导向行为中起着重要作用。尽管已经进行了大量的神经影像学研究，但情绪产生和调节背后的神经机制仍然难以捉摸。除了情绪是一个复杂的过程这一事实外，情绪反应中的个体差异很大也部分解释了这一现象。本功能磁共振成像研究的目的，一是明确与效价相关的大脑激活，二是阐明情绪加工相关脑区之间的相互作用。我们在12名健康成年人被动观看情感图片时测量了大脑激活情况。个体效价评分与额叶、顶叶、枕叶以及包括杏仁核在内的皮层下区域的激活呈负相关。对这些区域进行的参数中介分析表明，右侧腹外侧前额叶皮质（布罗德曼47区）是效价评分与其他区域之间的主要中介。有趣的是，腹外侧前额叶皮质没有中介区域。这些结果表明，右侧腹外侧前额叶皮质可能主要参与了效价维度上视觉诱发情绪过程的整合。
