Want to explore the mechanism of emotion regulation !

A failure of emotion regulation

Since we were a child, we might be taught to “control emotions appropriately in social settings”. Since we grew up, we might try to deal with emotions and keep calm in order not to damage social relationship even though we were harmed by someone else. Emotion control is important to spend a good social life.

However, we cannot always control emotions. Sensitive persons who tend to feel strong positive and negative emotions might find it difficult to build up a better social relationship and do rational decision making. In particular, mental disorder patients such as mood disorder might struggle with these issues.

“Why do we fail to regulate emotions?” “How do emotions emerge?”
I am trying to answer these questions by manipulating neurochemicals in our brains and scanning brain imaging data. My goal is to reduce the mood disorders exhibiting emotion dysregulation.

Neuroendocrine process of a failure of emotion regulation

How does the neuroendocrine process involve a failure of emotion regulation?

In both healthy people and mental health disorder patients, the neurotransmitters involve a failure of emotion regulation. For instance, low serotonin and dopamine contribute to impulsive and emotional responses.

When I studied in the UK, I found that melatonin, a sleep hormone, contributes to a decline in regulatory ability of emotion. However, it has been unclear whether melatonin affects emotions itself not only regulatory ability.

Using psychophysiological methods, I aim to explore whether melatonin increases emotional responses, such as a decrease in heart rate and increase in skin conductance response. This research will elucidate the neuroendocrine mechanism of a failure of emotion regulation for healthy people, and for mental disorders patients who cannot regulate emotions in the future.

The relationship between “melatonin” and emotion

First, we need to build a manipulation method of melatonin in order to investigate how melatonin contributes to emotion and emotion regulation. In my PhD project, I would like to manipulate melatonin using light and collect melatonin from saliva samples. Using dim light, natural room light and blight light, we are going to establish the manipulation and measurement methods of melatonin.

Then, we explore how melatonin contributes to emotion. We will record the physiological responses when participants join a social decision making task called the Ultimatum Game and find whether melatonin increases emotional responses. If melatonin increases emotion, then we are going to explore whether melatonin increases negative emotions by scanning amygdala and habenula related to emotions using a neuroimaging technique called fMRI.

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My ultimate goal of research is to explore how emotions emerge and why people cannot regulate emotions and to publish the research which helps affective disorders patients such as mood disorder.
I have two reasons why I have decided to apply for this cloud funding. First, we were trying to replicate the finding in master’s course in the UK and China, but we could not do this due to Covid-19. I could not apply for fellowship and currently need financial support to continue my study.
Second, I am interested in outreach. I was working as a writer for a while, and I understand the importance and interestingness of delivering psychological research to the public. Using my experience, I would like to be a person who can deliver the science to the public to make the most of the psychological research.

Your support will be used for the living costs and research grants. Research grants include participants fees, participation fees in conference and textbooks.

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