Compared with HSSs, LSSs more strongly activated brain regions associated with emotional regulation—the anterior cingulate and anterior medial OFC. The anterior cingulate may be involved in top-down, or intentional, modulation of intense emotional states (Matthews, Paulus, Simmons, Nelesen, & Dimsdale, 2004; Ochsner et al., 2004). In addition, the regulatory role of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex in affective behavior may depend on an interaction between incentive conditions and personality traits (Cunningham et al., 2005). Interestingly, in the present study, the fMRI response of the left anterior cingulate to high-arousal images was earlier in LSSs than in HSSs. This result suggests that this particular brain region may be engaged more readily in LSSs in the face of intense arousal. Because activation in the anterior cingulate was also negatively correlated with urgency, this region was engaged less strongly in impulsive sensation-seeking individuals than in individuals with low urgency scores. In contrast, HSSs engaged the right anterior insula more strongly in the face of intense arousal. Consequently, the anterior cingulate may be an important part of emotional regulation of somatic responses that are
