Adolescent Attention to Emotion Study
Purpose
Rates of depression increase rapidly during adolescence, especially for girls, and, thus, research is needed to spur the development of novel interventions to prevent adolescent depression. This project seeks to determine if a novel visuocortical probe of affect-biased attention (i.e., steady-state visual evoked potentials derived from EEG) can 1) be used to prospectively predict depression using a multi-wave repeated measures design and 2) modify affect-biased attention and buffer subsequent mood reactivity using real time neurofeedback. This work could ultimately lead to improved identification of adolescents who are at high risk for depression and directly inform the development of mechanistic treatment targets to be used in personalized intervention prescriptions for high-risk youth.
Condition
- Depression
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 13 Years and 15 Years
- Eligible Genders
- Female
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Participants will include 90 female adolescents ages 13 years 0 months through 15 years 11 months at study entry.
Exclusion Criteria
- Lifetime history of any DSM 5 depressive disorder 2. Lifetime history of taking antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs) 3. Lifetime history of a DSM 5 psychotic, bipolar, or autistic spectrum disorder. 4. Presence of EEG contraindications (e.g., personal lifetime history of seizures or family history of hereditary epilepsy). 5. Being pre-pubertal 6. Lifetime history of a neurological or serious medical condition. 7. Lifetime history of head injury or congenital neurological anomalies (based on parent report). 8. IQ less than 80, as assessed using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). 9. Uncorrected visual disturbance 10. Being acutely suicidal or at risk for harm to self or others.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- N/A
- Intervention Model
- Single Group Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Neurofeedback |
Participants will receive feedback about their attention to negative distractors during each trial using activity from their brain waves, which will help them reduce their attention to distractors. |
|
Recruiting Locations
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Pittsburgh
