Exposure to negative socio-emotional events induces sustained alteration of resting-state brain networks in the elderly

Abstract

While basic emotional functions seem preserved in the elderly, adaptive brain mechanisms required to cope with socio-emotional stressful events remain unresolved and scarcely investigated in this population. To evaluate how the aging brain reacts during and after emotionally challenging social events, we designed a new "task-rest" paradigm in which elderly participants (N=127) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while exposed to socio-emotional videos. We unveil neural markers of "emotional inertia" in brain activity and connectivity following negative scenes. Exposure to others' suffering induced differential activations that lingered over time into the subsequent resting-state in regions of the default mode network (DMN). Moreover, emotional elicitation potentiated subsequent resting-state connectivity between posterior DMN and amygdala, which in turn was related to anxiety, rumination, and negative thoughts. These findings uncover brain mechanisms underlying emotional resilience and empathy in the elderly and may help understand how poor social stress regulation promotes neurodegenerative diseases.

Heart rate variability covaries with amygdala functional connectivity during voluntary emotion regulation

“…Weaker resting-state functional connectivity between the right amygdala and PCC has previously been linked to greater reappraisal success (i.e., effective down-regulation of negative emotion) in younger adults ( Uchida et al, 2015 ), whereas increased amygdala-PCC resting-state functional connectivity has been observed following exposure to an acute stressor ( Veer et al, 2011 ). More recently, Baez-Lugo et al (2021) reported that greater right amygdala-PCC functional connectivity following exposure to videos containing highly negative emotional content (i.e., people suffering) was significantly correlated with higher rumination, anxiety, and stress in elderly individuals ( Baez-Lugo et al, 2021 ). Critically, those older adults who self-reported more frequent negative thoughts after watching the negative emotional videos were those who also exhibited stronger right amygdala-PCC connec-tivity.…”