- Cognitive Inflexibility in Eating Disorders Study
- Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) Study
- Mood and Motivation Study
- LGB Youth and Motivation Study
- DYADS: Digital Assessment of Young Adults & Detection of Suicidality
This study is being conducted to better understand whether the importance of two facets of cognitive inflexibility – attentional set-shifting and reversal learning –are related to differences in eating disorder presentation. Women and men between the ages of 18 and 55 with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as well as healthy adults are assessed using a battery of behavioral assessments that include interviews, questionnaires, and computer tasks. To examine neural correlates, images of the brain are taken using an MRI scan while the individual completes tasks designed to capture differences in attentional set-shifting and reversal learning. Funding Source: NIMH R01 MH103230
Closed to enrollment
Depression is a chronic, impairing form of psychopathology that is one of the world’s leading causes of disability. Brain connectivity and activity in a region in the prefrontal cortex (the dmPFC) has recently been identified as a biomarker for some types of depression. In addition to this, other studies have shown changes in dmPFC connectivity after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that manipulates cortical excitability, in people with depression.
In this study, we will build upon these prior findings to further explore the feasibility of stimulation to alter neural activity and connectivity, using a mix of functional MRI and TMS to examine the acute effects of theta-burst stimulation (TBS) to the dmPFC in 36 young adults with depression (18-25 years). Participation involves 5 trips into the lab and includes an interview, questionnaires, computer tasks, fMRI scans, and theta-burst stimulation.
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Anhedonia, or the loss of interest or pleasure in daily life and activities, is a symptom of various mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. We will recruit 145 adolescents, ages 13-17, who have a parent or sibling that has a history of depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. The participating adolescents will have little to no history of mental health disorders themselves. Analyses will focus on understanding how anhedonia develops in this high-risk sample and how it affects brain function over the course of adolescence. IRB: PRO14120041.
Closed to recruitment.
This study is focused on 16-20 year olds who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or who experience any same-sex attraction. LGB youth are particularly at risk for developing mental health problems over the course of adolescence. Because of this mental health disparity, we think it is especially important to study how this group of people develops. We hope to involve 40 LGB youth in our study to better understand the neural, behavioral, and social correlates of mental health symptoms. We encourage LGB youth with and without mental health disorders to participate. This study involves an fMRI brain scan, an interview, surveys, and computer games. IRB: PRO14120041
Closed to Enrollment
This research study focuses on young adults aged 18-30 who identify as LGBTQ+ (i.e., lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, questioning) or heterosexual and have experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors. People in this group have particularly high risk for suicidality, as they face identity-based bias and discrimination in addition to the usual social-developmental challenges of early adulthood. The goal of this research study is to investigate social factors in suicidality in young adults, who will complete 6 months of smartphone-based assessment of experiences, actigraphy to measure sleep patterns, an fMRI scan to measure brain function during social contexts, questionnaires, and interviews. In this study, we hope to learn more about social influences, so we are asking participants to bring one close friend to participate in a short task at the first visit. Research participants will be compensated for their time. IRB: STUDY20100183
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