Electrocortical activity, typically used to track the effects of cognitive reappraisal on the processing of emotional stimuli, has not been used to index PFC-mediated regulatory mechanisms responsible for these effects. In the current study, we examined the novel possibility that induced frontal alpha (i.e., 8 – 13 Hz), shown to reflect the inhibition and disengagement of task-relevant cortical regions, may be quantified to explore cortical activation that is specifically enhanced during cognitive reappraisal. For this purpose, 44 participants viewed unpleasant and neutral pictures followed by auditory instructions to either continue viewing the picture or reduce emotional response to the picture by making the picture seem less emotional (i.e., cognitive reappraisal). In line with previous work, unpleasant compared to neutral pictures elicited a larger late positive potential (LPP). Also corroborating previous work, the mid-latency LPP was reduced when pictures were cognitively reappraised. However, the current study showed for the first time that whereas unpleasant pictures elicited higher frontal alpha power than the neutral pictures bilaterally, frontal alpha power was reduced (indicative of more activation and cognitive control) during cognitive reappraisal of both picture types over the left hemisphere. Taken together, the LPP and event-related induced frontal alpha findings contribute unique information about distinct neural substrates and cognitive processes underlying reappraisal.
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