title: Distraction reduces theta synchronization in emotion regulation during adolescence.
abstract: We sought to determine if attentional distraction in adolescents can modulate event-related desynchronization or synchronization (ERD or ERS) of the theta band during emotion regulation. Event-related theta oscillations were collected from 48 adolescents and young adults as they performed a distraction (counting) task while viewing affective pictures. Consistent with data from adult participants, positive and negative pictures elicited a larger theta ERS than did neutral pictures within a 100-400 ms window, indicating that early theta ERS is indicative of motivated attention to biologically salient stimuli. Counting as a distraction strategy attenuated early affective modulation of theta ERS. Moreover, theta ERS increased with age in the anterior regions of the brain regardless of valence; however, no age differences were found in the posterior regions. These results suggest that distraction depends on a top-down attentional mechanism that disrupts theta ERS for affective pictures at an early stage. Furthermore, adolescents undergo a developmental increase in oscillatory brain reorganization.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng City 224051, China. zwh20120106@163.com
authors.forename: Wenhai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xinxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Dahua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent; Distraction; Emotion regulation; Event-related synchronization; Theta