Neural and behavioral mechanisms of emotion dysregulation in nicotine dependence
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Meeting name
Sponsors
Date
Journal Title
Format
Thesis
Subject
Abstract
[EMBARGOED UNTIL 08/01/2026] Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), including nicotine dependence (ND), may exhibit disrupted cognitive control and emotional processing. However, the role of internally directed, proactive cognitive control in regulating emotion (i.e. emotion regulation, ER) is not well understood. The current study assessed differences in emotion regulation among nicotine dependent adults who smoke combustible cigarettes (Nicotine Dependent, ND) and a group of adults without a history of repeated nicotine use (Control Group, CG). The ND participants who were smoking satiated and CG participants completed an emotion regulation task involving both negative and positive emotionally valence conditions in the laboratory (N=346; ND=153, CG=193). A subset (N=206; ND=129, CG=77) completed the ER Task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collection. The ER task included two strategies for each of the positive and negative valence conditions: View- (Respond to the stimuli without engaging cognitive strategies to modulate emotion) and Reappraise (Engage cognitive strategies to modulate emotion). In the Positive ER task condition, a significant 2 (group: ND, CG) x 2 (Strategy: Reappraise, View) interaction was identified (F(1,344)=13.14, p= <0.001). Positive ER interaction was characterized by the ND group demonstrating worse ER efficacy, as compared to the CG. A significant main effect of group (ND, CG) (F(1,344)=36.86, p=<0.001) was observed, where the ND group had relatively lower, compared to the CG group, mood ratings to positive stimuli. Similarly, in the Negative ER task condition, a significant 2 group (ND,CG) x 2 Strategy (Reappraise, View) interaction (F(1,344)=22.12, p= <0.001) was identified characterized by the ND group demonstrating worse ER efficacy, as compared to the CG, along with a significant main effect of group (ND, CG)(F(1,344)=4.65, p=0.032) in which the ND group demonstrated worse ER efficacy and greater reactivity to negatively valanced stimuli as compared to the CG. fMRI ER task outcomes were assessed using both the general linear model (GLM) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) approaches. The GLM approach revealed a significant group x strategy interaction when regulating negative emotion in the right superior frontal gyrus, left supplementary motor area and left middle frontal gyrus (all F's >12, p's< .05). Further, negative ER efficacy (Reappraise-View task performance) was associated with activation in the left pre and supplementary motor area (t's >3.9; p's=0.001), and the ND group, as compared to CG, exhibiting less activation in left supplementary motor area and right middle frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex (t's >3.5; p's=<0.001). During positive ER, the ND group, as compared to CG, demonstrated less activation of the left anterior orbital gyrus and anterior insula (t's>3.5, p's=0.021). The MVPA approach revealed ER as a robust predictor of nicotine dependence. Classification MVPA model significantly predicted group membership (ND, CG) from patterns of neural activation while performing positive ER (p(204)=0.004, permutation testing 500 times, 0.65 accuracy, 0.68 precision, 0.84 sensitivity, F1 0.75). In parallel, classification MVPA significantly predicted group membership (ND, CG) from patterns of neural activation while performing negative ER (p(204)=0.04, permutation testing 500 times, 0.65 accuracy, 0.66 precision, 0.81 sensitivity, F1 0.73). Additionally, regression MVPA analyses showed that patterns of neural activation during positive ER significantly predict behavioral task performance, i.e. positive ER efficacy (r(204)=0.17, p=0.016, permutation testing 500 times, MSE=1.72). Collectively these findings suggest that people who smoke demonstrate worse ER efficacy across both positive and negative valence conditions, and fMRI findings suggest distinct, discriminable group differences in patterns of brain activation during ER. These findings provide novel behavioral and neural results to help inform models of nicotine addiction and warrant further research into the clinical value of enhancing ER among people who smoke.
Table of Contents
PubMed ID
Degree
M.A.