Korean J Biol Psychiatry.  2022 Apr;29(1):15-21. 10.22857/kjbp.2022.29.1.003.

Alterations in Functions of Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Related Brain Regions in Maltreatment Victims

• Kim S
• Lee SW
• Chang Y
• Lee SJ

• KMID: 2528449
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22857/kjbp.2022.29.1.003

Abstract

Objectives
Maltreatment experiences can alter brain function related to emotion regulation, such as cognitive reappraisal. While dysregulation of emotion is an important risk factor to mental health problems in maltreated people, studies reported alterations in brain networks related to cognitive reappraisal are still lacking.
Methods
Twenty-seven healthy subjects were recruited in this study. The maltreatment experiences and positive reappraisal abilities were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, respectively. Twelve subjects reported one or more moderate maltreatment experiences. Subjects were re-exposed to pictures after the cognitive reappraisal task using the International Affective Picture System during fMRI scan.
Results
The maltreatment group reported more negative feelings on negative pictures which tried cognitive reappraisal than the no-maltreatment group (p < 0.05). Activities in the right superior marginal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus were higher in the maltreatment group (uncorrected p < 0.001, cluster size > 20).
Conclusions
We found that paradoxical activities in semantic networks were shown in the victims of maltreatment. Further study might be needed to clarify these aberrant functions in semantic networks related to maltreatment experiences.

Keyword

Child abuse; Emotion regulation; Semantic network; unctional magnetic resonance imaging