title: Self-esteem modulates amygdala-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity in response to mortality threats.
abstract: Reminders of death often elicit defensive responses in individuals, especially among those with low self-esteem. Although empirical evidence indicates that self-esteem serves as a buffer against mortality threats, the precise neural mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the hypothesis that self-esteem modulates neural responses to death-related stimuli, especially functional connectivity within the limbic-frontal circuitry, thereby affecting subsequent defensive reactions. As predicted, individuals with high self-esteem subjected to a mortality threat exhibited increased amygdala-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) connectivity during the processing of death-related stimuli compared with individuals who have low self-esteem. Further analysis revealed that stronger functional connectivity between the amygdala and the VLPFC predicted a subsequent decline in responding defensively to those who threaten one's beliefs. These results suggest that the amygdala-VLPFC interaction, which is modulated by self-esteem, can reduce the defensiveness caused by death-related stimuli, thereby providing a neural explanation for why individuals with high self-esteem exhibit less defensive reactions to mortality threats.
authors.affiliation: Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University.
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.affiliation: Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University.
authors.forename: Nobuhito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University.
authors.forename: Emiko S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kashima
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University.
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult