## 4 Discussion
However, the finding that the number of activation voxels in these areas was greater in the high-stress group compared to the moderate-stress group is a novel finding and may suggest that individuals with higher stress levels require more cognitive resources to regulate their emotions and recover from stress. One study consistent with our findings is that by [PERSON] et al. [25], who found that individuals with higher levels of stress showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus during post-stress recovery, suggesting increased cognitive control during recovery. In the moderate-stress group, the activation of the declive was characteristically observed in the left cerebellum. Some studies have investigated cerebellar activation during stress and recovery; however, these findings are inconsistent. Several studies have reported increased cerebellar activation during stress tasks, whereas others have reported decreases or no changes in activation [26]. Similarly, there are inconsistencies in the reported changes in cerebellar activation during recovery after stress. Some studies have reported increased cerebellar activation during recovery [26], whereas others have reported decreases or no changes in activation levels [27]. The declive is a cerebellum region reportedly involved in various cognitive and emotional processes, including working memory, attention, language processing, and emotional regulation. The activation of the declive during post-stress recovery may indicate that the brain is engaged in cognitive and emotional processing related to recovery from stress. Specifically, the greater activation of the declive in the moderate-stress group may suggest that this group engaged in more cognitive and emotional processing during recovery than the high-stress group, possibly reflecting more active efforts to cope with stressors and return to a baseline state. However, notably, the specific function (s) of the declive and its role in post-stress recovery are still not fully understood, and more research is needed to clarify these relationships. In the high-stress group, the activation of the right cuneus was predominant. Previous studies have shown that the cuneus region is involved in visual processing, attention regulation, and the modulation of emotional responses. In particular, the cuneus plays a role in processing negative emotional stimuli, including those related to stress. Ourfinding of greater activation of the right cuneus in the high-stress group during post-stress recovery is consistent with that of previous studies. For example, [PERSON] et al. [28] found that individuals with high levels of perceived stress showed increased cuneus activation during an emotional processing task. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [5] found that stress exposure was associated with greater cuneus activation during an attentional control task. Taken together, our results suggest that the cuneus plays an important role in the recovery process after exposure to stress, particularly in individuals experiencing higher levels of stress. While the activation of the inferior occipital gyrus was observed in both groups, this activation was predominantly observed in the left hemisphere in the moderate-stress group and in the right hemisphere in the high-stress group. The common activation of the inferior occipital gyrus in both the moderate- and high-stress groups during the recovery state after stress induction suggests that this area may play a role in regulating emotional and cognitive responses to stress. The lateralization of activation in the left and right inferior occipital gyri suggests differences in visual perception and attention processing between the two stress groups during stress recovery. Previous studies have reported the activation of the inferior occipital gyrus during stress and post-stress recovery. For example, [PERSON] et al. [29] found that the inferior occipital gyrus is activated during stress induction and that the strength of this activation is positively correlated with subjective stress ratings.