Neural and motivational mechanisms of age-related change in emotion regulation

项目摘要 在从中年到老年的过程中，健康的成年人通常会经历他们的情绪改善， 功能，如积极情绪的增加和管理情绪的更大专业知识。但并非 每个人都表现出这些与年龄相关的改善，以及产生情绪功能的机制， 成年期的变化仍然知之甚少。这个项目的主要目标是检查关键的 在正常老化中促进积极情绪发展的因素，并测试抑郁症史是否 可能会缓和这一过程作为一个关键性状的个体差异标记。为此，我们测试了我们提出的价值- 成年期情绪调节的认知控制模型（VBCC-MERiAD）VBCC-MERiAD 框架提出了一个新的见解：奖励动机和认知控制之间的相互作用， 在理解老年人情绪功能的规范轨迹方面的核心作用， 相反，为什么和如何个人与抑郁症的历史可能会得到“偏离轨道”。我们专注于有效地 上调积极情绪，因为老年人优先考虑积极情绪目标， 其特点是奖励处理迟钝。我们的主要假设是，积极情绪调节（ER） 能力将依赖于额-纹状体电路的完整性（即，活动和连接之间的横向 前额叶皮层和腹侧纹状体核）。预计这条赛道的参与反映了 利用奖励动机作为参与认知控制的手段（即，更新和维护ER目标）。 在三个具体的目标，我们建议的特点，ER的机制，在中年和老年人 （35-74），专注于动机和认知控制的神经和行为指标，这些指标预测日常生活 情绪功能，以及有抑郁史的个体的潜在失调。为了实现这些目标， 我们将采用多方法设计，包括功能性神经影像学测量、实验室行为学测量、 评估和经验抽样方法。样本（N=220）将包括不同种族/人种的 一组35-74岁的成年人（66%为女性），平均分为两组：健康对照组和 抑郁史最先进的神经影像学方案将评估与不同的大脑活动相关的大脑活动。 ER策略，并测试与奖励动机的认知控制的联系。综合实验室 评估将包括诊断性访谈、自我报告措施、认知功能电池和 标准化ER任务，测量自主反应和情绪行为编码。的经验 采样协议将提供一个自然的，生态有效的评估参与者的情绪 经验、目标和监管战略。这项拟议中的研究将极大地扩展我们对 情绪功能的正常和功能失调的年龄相关变化，通过识别机制， 在成年后期促进积极的ER。这样做，我们将为新的干预措施奠定基础， 健康老年人的生活质量和有抑郁症史的个体的预防性治疗目标。

PROJECT SUMMARY In the progression from middle to older-age, healthy adults typically experience improvements in their emotional functioning, such as increases in positive emotion and greater expertise in managing emotions. However, not everyone shows these age-related improvements, and the mechanisms that give rise to emotional functioning changes across adulthood are still poorly understood. The primary goal of this project is to examine the critical factors that promote positive emotional development in normative aging, and to test whether depression history might moderate this process as a key trait individual difference marker. To this end, we test our proposed Value- Based Cognitive Control Model of Emotion Regulation in ADulthood (VBCC-MERiAD). The VBCC-MERiAD framework suggests a novel insight: that interactions between reward motivation and cognitive control play a central role in understanding both the normative trajectory of emotional functioning in older adults, and conversely, why and how individuals with depression histories may get “off track”. We focus on effectively upregulating positive emotion, given that older adults prioritize positive emotion goals, and because depression is characterized by blunted reward processing. Our primary hypothesis is that positive emotion regulation (ER) abilities will rely upon the integrity of fronto-striatal circuitry (i.e., activity and connectivity between the lateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens / ventral striatum). Engagement of this circuit is predicted to reflect the utilization of reward motivation as a means of engaging cognitive control (i.e., to update and maintain ER goals). Across three Specific Aims, we propose to characterize the mechanisms of ER in middle-aged and older adults (35-74), focusing on neural and behavioral indicators of motivation and cognitive control that predict daily emotional functioning, and potential dysregulation in individuals with depression history. To achieve these aims, we will employ a multi-method design involving functional neuroimaging measures, laboratory behavioral assessments, and experience sampling methods. The sample (N=220) will include an ethnically/racially diverse set of adults (66% women) of ages 35-74, equally subdivided into two groups: healthy controls and people with depression histories. A state-of-the art neuroimaging protocol will assess brain activity associated with different ER strategies, and test for linkages with reward-motivated cognitive control. The comprehensive laboratory assessments will include diagnostic interviewing, self-report measures, cognitive functioning batteries, and a standardized ER task with measures of autonomic reactivity and behavioral coding of emotion. The experience sampling protocol will provide a naturalistic, ecologically valid assessment of participants’ emotional experiences, goals and regulatory strategies. The proposed research will dramatically extend our understanding of both normative and dysfunctional age-related change in emotional function, by identifying mechanisms that promote positive ER in late adulthood. In so doing, we will lay the foundation for new interventions to improve quality of life for healthy older adults and preventative therapeutic targets for individuals with depression history.