This paper clarified the definition of vital loss emotions and summarized three contributing constituent elements through the review of previous research on vital loss emotions.Based on the results from relevant clinical,neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies,we further noted the advantages and disadvantages of previous research and discussed the neural network model of vital loss emotions to propose future research directions.Although the research on vital loss emotions has generated significant results,it remains in its initial stages,and many questions are unsolved.Future researchers would be encouraged to study real vital loss,dynamic longitudinal tracking and applied research on human health.