Cognitive emotion regulation through reappraisal in an anticipatory anxiety paradigm

171 Pages·2012·2.62 MB·English

Fakult(cid:228)t f(cid:252)r Erziehungswissenschaften, Psychologie und
Bewegungswissenschaften der Universit(cid:228)t Hamburg
Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
doctor rerum naturalium
Cognitive emotion regulation
through reappraisal in an
anticipatory anxiety paradigm
vorgelegt von
Dipl-Psych, MSc Clin Neurosci
Marie-Luise Mechias
Hamburg, 2012
Promotionsprüfungsausschuß
Vorsitzender: PD Dr. Michael Rose
1. Dissertationsgutachter: Prof. Dr. Christian Büchel
2. Dissertationsgutachterin: Prof. Dr. Monique Janneck
1. Disputationsgutachter: Prof. Dr. Volker Franz
2. Disputationsgutachter: PD Dr. Andreas von Leupold

Tag der Disputation: 29.06.2012
Druckjahr: 2012
Druckort: Hamburg
Acknowledgment
Vielen Dank!
Raffael Kalisch, Christian Büchel, Michael Rose, Monique Janneck, Andreas von Leupold,
VolkerFranz,JohannesKluesener,BothoundBeateMechias,NedaSalari,JanPeters,An-
dreas Marschner, Matthias Pietsch, Matthias Gamer, Stephan Stevens, Karolina Raczka,
Nina Gartmann.
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Teile dieser Arbeit basieren auf den folgenden Veröffentlichungen:
• Mechias, M.-L., Etkin, A., Kalisch, R. (2010) A meta-analysis of instructed fear
studies: implications of conscious appraisal of theat. Neuroimage, 49(2), 1760-68.
• RaczkaK.A.,GartmannN.,Mechias M.-L.,ReifA.,BüchelC.,DeckertJ.,Kalisch
R. (2010) A neuropeptide S receptor variant associated with of fear reactions: a
potential neurogenetic basis for catastrophizing. Mol Psychiatry, 15(11), 1067- 74.
• Paret C., Brenninkmeyer J., Meyer B., Yuen K.S., Gartmann N., Mechias M.-L.,
Kalisch R. (2011) A test for the implementation-maintenance model of reappraisal.
Front Psychol, 2:216.
Die Dissertation wurde von Januar 2008 bis Dezember 2010 unter direkter Anleitung von
Herrn Dr. Raffael Kalisch am Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften, Universitäts-
klinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf angefertigt.
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Abstract
Humans have the ability to cognitively control their emotions. Reappraisal is a cognitive
emotion regulation technique that works through re-interpretation of the meaning of a
stimulus or situation and can be used to down-regulate negative emotions, including anx-
iety. There is currently a strong interest in identifying the cognitive processes and neural
substrates that mediate reappraisal.
We demonstrate, using a detachment-from-threat paradigm and concurrent skin conduc-
tance monitoring and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), that attenuation of
anxiety is based not only on re-interpretation but also on further processes accompany-
ing reappraisal. We establish a reappraisal technique in an anticipatory anxiety paradigm
(Study I)thatisanxiolyticwhencomparedtoasimple’observe’condition. However,when
compared to a control condition that is matched for all aspects (including cognitive load)
apart from re-interpretation, the observed anxiolytic effect of reappraisal is substantially
diminished (Studies II,III and IV). We further show that besides re-interpretation and
cognitive load, developing a positive outcome expectation influences the anxiolytic char-
acter of reappraisal (Study V). Finally we experimentally test the distinction between
an early and a late reappraisal phase, currently hypothesised by the implementation-
maintenance model or IMMO (Study VI).
Taking everything into consideration, the results from the studies presented in this the-
sis show that anxiolysis via cognitive reappraisal relies on at least three subcomponents:
re-interpretation, cognitive demand and a placebo-like expectation-effect. Neurally, the
reappraisal process involves late right anterior lateral frontal cortex activation that we
interpret as reappraisal maintanace activation, as supported by IMMO.
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Glossary
ACC anterior cingulate cortex PET positron emission tomography
ad anterior dorsal PFC prefrontal cortex
ANOVA analysis of variance pg perigenual
BOLD blood oxygenation level dependent PPI psychophysiological interaction
CS conditioned stimulus RA reappraisal
dl dorsolateral RF radiofrequency
dm dorsomedial rm rostromedial
FDR false discovery rate RSI reappraisal success index
fMRI functional megnetic resonance imaging s second
IMMO implementation maintanace model SCL skin conductance level
HF high frequency SC skin conductance
l lateral SD standard deviation
IAPS international affective picture system SDS social desirability scale
m medial sg subgenual
M mean STAI state-trait anxiety inventory
MHz megahertz t tesla
MNI montreal neurological institute T threat
MRI magnetic resonance imaging UCS unconditioned stimulus
NA no-reappraisal UR unconditioned response
NT no-threat US unconditioned stimulus
pd posterior dorsal vm ventromedial
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