Resting-State Functional Connectivity Correlates of Emotional Memory Control under Cognitive load in Subclinical Anxiety

Abstract: Volitional memory control supports adaptive cognition by enabling intentional Recall of goal-relevant information and Suppression of unwanted memories. While neural mechanisms underlying Recall and Suppression have been studied largely in isolation, less is known about the large-scale brain networks supporting these processes under competing cognitive demands, particularly as a function of subclinical anxiety. Here, we examined control of emotionally valenced memories during directed Recall and Suppression while 47 participants concurrently performed an independent visual working memory task. Cognitive control efficiency was quantified using the Balanced Integration Score (BIS), and seed-to-voxel resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) was used to characterize intrinsic network organization. Dissociable rsFC profiles were associated with memory control efficiency across emotional valences and were selectively moderated by anxiety. More efficient Suppression of positive memories was linked to reduced connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior perceptual-midline regions, as well as diminished hippocampal-frontal pole coupling. In contrast, efficient Suppression of negative memories was associated with increased connectivity between posterior parietal and lateral occipital regions. Anxiety moderated relationships between cognitive efficiency and prefrontal connectivity during Suppression of positive memories and Recall of positive and neutral memories. Direct comparisons further revealed stronger hippocampal-thalamic rsFC during Suppression relative to Recall of positive memories. Together, these findings delineate the functional brain architecture supporting volitional control of emotional memories under cognitive load and demonstrate that anxiety severity selectively shapes these network-level mechanisms across the anxiety continuum.