Neural correlates and sociopsychological factors in expressive suppression and emotion regulation

From a neurobiological standpoint, emotion regulation is a core neurocognitive process that supports psychological well-being and adaptive social functioning through coordinated interactions between cortical regulatory systems and subcortical affective circuits. Among regulation strategies, expressive suppression—the inhibition of outward emotional expression after an emotional response has already been initiated—has received increasing attention in affective neuroscience. Suppression is associated with top-down inhibitory control processes mediated by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which modulate activity in limbic regions including the amygdala and insula that encode emotional salience and interoceptive states. Although suppression may facilitate short-term social coordination, frequent reliance on this strategy has been associated with increased physiological stress and elevated risk for anxiety and depressive symptoms. Neuroimaging and psychophysiological evidence suggest that suppression engages sustained activation of the anterior cingulate cortex and other cognitive control networks, reflecting the metabolic and cognitive demands of inhibiting behavioral expression while affective responses persist. These processes are further influenced by neuromodulatory systems involving serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, which regulate emotional reactivity and inhibitory control. This study examines the neural architecture underlying expressive suppression using publicly available functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the OpenNeuro dataset ds000108, which investigates prefrontal–subcortical pathways involved in emotion regulation tasks. The dataset includes 34 participants performing cognitive emotion regulation tasks involving negative image appraisal. Analysis focuses on functional activation patterns within prefrontal–limbic circuits implicated in emotional control. Results indicate that suppression and related regulatory processes recruit top-down inhibitory control networks involving the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, which modulate activity in limbic structures such as the amygdala and insula. These interactions reflect dynamic prefrontal–subcortical pathways that influence emotional experience and behavioral expression. Neurochemical modulation via serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid likely contributes to variability in regulatory outcomes. Findings highlight how sustained recruitment of executive control networks during suppression may increase cognitive load and stress, while adaptive emotion regulation strategies rely on flexible engagement of distributed neural networks. These results support integrative models linking neural circuitry, culture, and psychological outcomes in emotion regulation.
In turn, cultural context may shape the neural implementation and functional outcomes of suppression. In collectivist cultural environments, norms emphasizing emotional restraint may reinforce neural pathways associated with social monitoring and cognitive control, including circuits involving the medial prefrontal cortex. Conversely, individualistic cultures tend to prioritize expressive authenticity, promoting regulatory strategies such as cognitive reappraisal that engage earlier modulation of limbic responses. This paper synthesizes empirical findings from affective neuroscience and cultural psychology to examine the neural mechanisms, mental health correlates, and sociocultural modulation of expressive suppression. Particular attention is given to bicultural stress and identity conflict, which may increase reliance on suppression among individuals navigating multiple cultural frameworks. We conclude by discussing implications for culturally informed neuroscience and mental health interventions, emphasizing the importance of regulatory flexibility in the adaptive engagement of prefrontal–limbic networks.