Emotions are multifaceted phenomena affecting mind, body, and behavior. Previous studies sought to link particular emotion categories (e.g., fear) or dimensions (e.g., valence) to specific brain substrates but generally found distributed and overlapping activation patterns across various emotions. In contrast, distributed patterns accord with multi-componential theories whereby emotions emerge from appraisal processes triggered by current events, combined with motivational, expressive, and physiological mechanisms orchestrating behavioral responses. According to this framework, components are recruited in parallel and dynamically synchronized during emotion episodes. Here, we use functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate brain-wide systems engaged by theoretically defined components and measure their synchronization during an interactive emotion-eliciting video game. We show that each emotion component recruits large-scale cortico-subcortical networks, and that moments of dynamic synchronization between components selectively engage basal ganglia, sensory-motor structures, and midline brain areas. These neural results support theoretical accounts grounding emotions onto embodied and action-oriented functions triggered by synchronized component processes.

情绪是影响心智，身体和行为的多方面现象。先前的研究试图将特定的情感类别（例如，恐惧）或维度（例如，价）与特定的大脑基础联系起来，但通常发现在各种情感上存在分布和重叠的激活模式。相反，分布式模式符合多成分理论，即情绪是由时事触发的评估过程中产生的，并结合了协调行为响应的动机，表达和生理机制。根据此框架，情感事件期间并行征募组件并动态同步。这里，我们使用功能性MRI（fMRI）来研究理论上定义的组件参与的全脑系统，并在互动式激发情感的视频游戏中测量其同步性。我们表明，每个情感成分都募集了大规模的皮质下皮质网络，并且各个成分之间的动态同步时刻选择性地参与了基底神经节，感觉运动结构和中线大脑区域。这些神经结果支持理论解释，将情感建立在由同步组件过程触发的具体化和面向动作的功能上。