Stress and Anhedonia in Adolescents Study
This study is looking at how stress affects anhedonia (the loss of pleasure) in teenagers. Researchers want to understand how different biological measures from the brain and body's stress response system might combine to show different patterns in how adolescents react to stress. The main goal is to see if these patterns are linked to whether teenagers develop anhedonia and how severe it might be over time. You could participate if you are between 13 and 15 years old. The study involves behavioral tasks like the Montreal Imaging Stress Task and the Trier Social Stress Test for Children, and will measure anhedonia using the SHAPS scale, brain activity during stress, and hormone levels (cortisol). The study plans to enroll 192 adolescents, but its current status is unclear.
- Study design
- This interventional study plans to enroll 192 adolescents aged 13-15 years old. It is not specified if it is randomized or blinded.
- What's involved
- You would complete tasks at three time points: at the beginning, after 10 months, and again after 20 months. These tasks include psychological questionnaires, cognitive tests, brain imaging (fMRI), and physiological measurements, some in-person and some remotely.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Participants will be followed for 20 months, with assessments at baseline, 10 months, and 20 months.
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Stress Trajectories and Anhedonia in Adolescence Research Study
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Aysenil Belger, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Danielle Roubinov, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Who to contact
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Do you actually qualify for this trial?
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Anhedonia as assessed by the SHAPSBaseline, 10-months, 20-months
The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) is a measure used to assess anhedonia. It contains 14-items scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" (1) to "strongly agree" (4). The sum of these responses is taken to find the total score, which ranges from 0-56 with lower scores indicating higher overall anhedonia.
- Percent signal change during the MISTBaseline, 10-Months, 20-Months
During the MIST, research participants complete mental arithmetic with the intermittent reception of neutral and negative evaluative feedback. The percent signal change of the fronto-limbic region of the brain will be analyzed during the MIST task. Higher percent signal change in these regions would indicate higher levels of activation when stressed. Percent signal change ranges between 1% to 5%.
- Endocrine (cortisol) response during the TSSTBaseline
The Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) -- a social stressor involving story telling in front of two neutral judges, preparation time and a cognitive stressor involving mental arithmetic is used to elicit physiological stress responses. The combination of stressors offers high levels of social-evaluative threat. Cortisol is collected through a saliva sample of passive drool a total of 5 times throughout the visit at 15-minute intervals. The higher the cortisol is found to be, the higher the stress response to the task.
- Endocrine (cortisol) response during the MISTBaseline, 10-Months, 20-Months
During the MIST, research participants complete mental arithmetic with the intermittent reception of neutral and negative evaluative feedback. Cortisol is collected through a saliva sample collected via cotton swab a total of 6 times throughout the visit at 15-minute intervals. The higher the cortisol is found to be, the higher the stress response to the task.
- Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system ECG activation or heart rate variability (HRV) during a psychosocial stressful task (Trier Social Stress Test - TSST)Baseline
The Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) -- a social stressor involving story telling in front of two neutral judges, preparation time and a cognitive stressor involving mental arithmetic is used to elicit physiological stress responses. The combination of stressors offers high levels of social-evaluative threat. Throughout the task, heart rate is measured to determine baseline resting state and HRV. HRV is the difference in the milliseconds between each heartbeat. The higher the HRV, the more the nervous system is activated during the task. The level of HRV indicates the participant's nervous system response to stress.