  In the emotion regulation literature, the amount of neuroimaging studies on
cognitive reappraisal led the impression that the same top-down,
control-related neural mechanisms characterize all emotion regulation
strategies. However, top-down processes may coexist with more bottom-up and
emotion-focused processes that partially bypass the recruitment of executive
functions. A case in point is acceptance-based strategies. To better understand
neural commonalities and differences behind different emotion regulation
strategies, in the present study we applied a meta-analytic method to fMRI
studies of task-related activity of reappraisal and acceptance. Results showed
increased activity in left-inferior frontal gyrus and insula for both
strategies, and decreased activity in the basal ganglia for reappraisal, and
decreased activity in limbic regions for acceptance. These findings are
discussed in the context of a model of common and specific neural mechanisms of
emotion regulation that support and expand the previous dual-routes models. We
suggest that emotion regulation may rely on a core inhibitory circuit, and on
strategy-specific top-down and bottom-up processes distinct for different
strategies.
