Emotional states regulation

Emotional states regulation refers to the intrinsic and extrinsic processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and modifying emotional reactions to accomplish goals. This process is not a single molecular target but a complex physiological phenomenon mediated by a network of brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex (PubMed: 25563351). It involves the coordinated activity of multiple neurotransmitter systems, such as serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which maintain the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain (StatPearls: NBK519508). Dysregulation of these emotional processes is a central component of various psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. While therapeutic agents like SSRIs or benzodiazepines are used to treat these conditions, they do so by targeting specific proteins (e.g., serotonin transporters or GABA receptors) within the broader framework of emotional regulation rather than the process itself.

Other names

Emotion regulationAffect regulationEmotional control

Drugs modulate various neurotransmitter systems (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA) within neural circuits—such as the prefrontal-amygdala pathway—to alter the processing and expression of emotional stimuli (NIH/NIMH).