Kendall Gelner: Individual Identified in Recent Reporting
In a groundbreaking development, researchers are exploring the use of light beams to manipulate animal brains and alleviate anxiety, while also delving into the more conventional methods of emotion regulation in humans.
One such method, known as affect labeling, has shown promising results in managing emotions. This process, which involves putting feelings into words, has been found to modulate brain activity by strengthening prefrontal cortex regulation and reducing amyggdala reactivity. This neural effect supports improved emotion regulation and has clinical relevance for anxiety and mood disorders.
In contrast, cognitive reappraisal, a core part of cognitive behavioral therapy, involves actively reinterpreting a negative stimulus to change its emotional impact. Both strategies support anxiety and mood disorder treatments by enabling better emotion regulation and reducing symptoms.
A study by James Gross, a psychology professor at Stanford, has revealed that participants who were asked to simply talk about their fears were more willing to confront them a week later, indicating the effectiveness of affect labeling. Similarly, cognitive reappraisal has been shown to decrease activity in the amygggala during reappraisal compared to simply looking at photos without trying to change feelings.
Matt Lieberman, a psychology professor at UCLA, introduced the concept of cognitive reappraisal. Research has shown that after 16 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy, the brain responses to reappraisal of patients with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) got faster. However, it appears that people with SAD have impaired brain systems involved in reappraisal, which may explain why the process takes more time for them compared to others.
Interestingly, a study by Lieberman showed that affect naming can add to the positive effects of exposure therapy, suggesting a potential synergy between these two strategies.
As the field of emotion research continues to evolve, scientists are also conducting research on mice that are naturally resilient to stress, which could lead to new insights and treatments for anxiety and mood disorders.
References:
- Simply Psychology, 2025 - Affect labeling reduces amyggdala activity via PFC strengthening
- PMC article, 2025 - Mindfulness interventions that include labeling improve emotion regulation and decrease anxiety/depression symptoms
- PubMed, 2025 - Cognitive reappraisal uses preparatory brain activity and PFC engagement to downregulate negative emotions
- Number Analytics, 2025 - Neuroplasticity in emotion regulation through cognitive reappraisal and affect labeling
- Lieberman, M. D. (2007). Affective neuroscience. Guilford Press.
- The exploration of light beams manipulating animal brains for anxiety alleviation is parallel to the ongoing research in health-and-wellness, focusing on conventional methods like affect labeling, a process shown to modulate brain activity and support better mental health.
- Emotional regulation is a crucial aspect of health-and-wellness, with strategies such as affect labeling and cognitive reappraisal emerging as key tools in managing anxiety and mood disorders. For instance, affect labeling has been found to reduce amyggdala reactivity and strengthen prefrontal cortex regulation.
- Cognitive reappraisal, a strategy from fitness-and-exercise routines like cognitive behavioral therapy, has demonstrated the ability to actively reinterpret negative stimuli, thereby changing their emotional impact and improving mood.
- In the realm of nutrition, research has revealed the positive effects of combining affect naming with exposure therapy, potentially synergizing these methodologies for improved mental health outcomes. Additionally, studies on mice with natural resilience to stress are shedding light on new approaches for anxiety and mood disorder treatments, further highlighting the interplay between nature and health.
