# Insular Connectomic Mechanisms of Emotion Dysregulation and Neuromodulation

> **NIH NIH F30** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $42,131

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic public health problem that is associated with negative effects on
psychiatric outcomes and a large global economic burden. The development of novel treatments for emotion
dysregulation that are effective across a wide range of psychiatric disorders is therefore an urgent need. A single
session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to enhance emotion regulation in people
with transdiagnostic emotion dysregulation. In these participants we are finding that induction of negative
emotion is associated with hyperactivity in the insula, a key salience network node; utilization of emotion
regulation skills is associated with downregulation of the insula; and functional connectivity strength between the
insula and the dlPFC, a central executive network node, is positively correlated with emotion dysregulation
severity. In a comparison group of non-clinical participants, utilization of emotion regulation skills is associated
with increased functional connectivity strength between the insula and the mPFC, a default mode network node.
These findings may reflect that dynamics between the salience and other large-scale prefrontal networks differ
between emotionally dysregulated and non-clinical participants. Therefore, I hypothesize that cortico-insular
connections are critically involved in emotion dysregulation and may be a mechanism for the therapeutic
response to neuromodulatory perturbation. A connectomic approach will be employed to determine how cortico-
insular connectivity is related to emotion dysregulation and affected by brain stimulation. Studies proposed may
advance scientific knowledge about the role of functional and structural insular networks in transdiagnostic
emotion dysregulation, leading to the refinement of individualized targets in neuromodulatory interventions. The
expertise of Sponsor Dr. Kevin LaBar, Ph.D. in emotion regulation neuroscience and Co-Sponsor Dr. Andrada
Neacsiu, Ph.D. in neuromodulatory interventions for emotion dysregulation will provide me with high-quality
scientific training. The skills and training proposed in this application will allow me to establish the foundation for
a physician-scientist career at the intersection of psychiatry and translational neuroscience.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10899949
- **Project number:** 1F30MH134460-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nimesha Gerlus
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $42,131
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10899949

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10899949, Insular Connectomic Mechanisms of Emotion Dysregulation and Neuromodulation (1F30MH134460-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10899949. Licensed CC0.

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