Adolescent Attention to Emotion Study

NCT04105868 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY19010063K23MH119225
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 15
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Affect-biased Attention Following Neurofeedback (Immediately Post-Intervention)

  To measure affect-biased attention, steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) were derived from EEG and used to index the amount of stimulus-driven attention to negative distractors relative to task-relevant stimuli. Affect-biased attention was assessed immediately before and immediately after the real-time SSVEP neurofeedback training to evaluate changes within the same session. The outcome below reflects the post-neurofeedback SSVEP competition index (Task / \[Task + Distractor\]). Scores above .50 indicate greater attention to the task stimulus.

  Approximately 1 hour total: baseline assessment immediately before neurofeedback and post-neurofeedback assessment immediately after the ~1 hour training session on the same day.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Sadness Ratings Following Laboratory Stressor (Immediately Post-Stressor)

  Approximately 30 minutes total: baseline sadness rating immediately before and post-stressor rating immediately after the ~30-minute laboratory stressor on the same day.

• Anxiety Rating Following Laboratory Stressor (Immediately Post-Stressor)

  Baseline and following laboratory stressor (~30 minutes)

Study Arms (1)

Neurofeedback

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Other: Neurofeedback

Interventions

Neurofeedback OTHER

Participants will receive feedback during a computerized task that is based on their own visuocortical activity evoked by attention to negative distractors and task-relevant stimuli on the computer screen.

Neurofeedback

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 15 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Participants will include 90 female adolescents ages 13 years 0 months through 15 years 11 months at study entry.

You may not qualify if:

• Lifetime history of any Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 depressive disorder
• Lifetime history of taking antidepressants \[e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs)\]
• Lifetime history of a DSM 5 psychotic, bipolar, or autistic spectrum disorder.
• Presence of EEG contraindications (e.g., personal lifetime history of seizures or family history of hereditary epilepsy).
• Being pre-pubertal
• Lifetime history of a neurological or serious medical condition.
• Lifetime history of head injury or congenital neurological anomalies (based on parent report).
• Intelligence quotient (IQ) less than 80, as assessed using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI).
• Uncorrected visual disturbance
• Being acutely suicidal or at risk for harm to self or others.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Huang X, Mak J, Wears A, Price RB, Akcakaya M, Ostadabbas S, Woody ML. Using Neurofeedback from Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials to Target Affect-Biased Attention in Augmented Reality. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2022 Jul;2022:2314-2318. doi: 10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9871982.

  PMID: 36085716 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Interventions

Neurofeedback

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Biofeedback, Psychology; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Feedback, Psychological

Limitations and Caveats

The study was a small, single-arm pilot trial with 15 participants, which may limit generalizability. Results should be interpreted as preliminary pending replication in larger, controlled samples.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Mary Woody, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
• Organization: University of Pittsburgh

mlw114@pitt.edu

4123832143

Study Officials

• Mary Woody, PhD

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2019
• First Posted: September 26, 2019
• Study Start: October 16, 2019
• Primary Completion: September 23, 2024
• Study Completion: March 30, 2025
• Last Updated: November 13, 2025
• Results First Posted: November 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)