Stress Dynamics and Familial Risk for Depression in Female Adolescents

Part of paid clinical trials in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Sponsor
Mclean Hospital
Study ID
NCT06816329
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
FEMALE
Age
13 Years - 15 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Computer Task Manipulation — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants will complete computer tasks.

Study Details

Stress and a parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) are among the strongest risk factors for future development of MDD. Studies have shown that having a parental history of MDD may be associated with behavioral, psychophysiological, and hormonal responses to stress that are associated with poorer stress coping. . Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental window linked to increased MDD risk, especially for females, as rates of MDD surge relative to males. Despite the central role of stress in MDD onset, little is known about the brain mechanisms underlying stress responses in susceptible female adolescents at high familial risk for MDD. Also, it is unclear how stress-related brain network alterations may relate to "real-world" maladaptive stress responses and whether these stress-related brain network changes are predictive of future depression onset. We will fulfill these research gaps by combining neuroimaging with intensive longitudinal tracking of depressive symptomology as well as behavioral and physiological responses to "real world" stress using smartphone and smartwatch technology. Elucidating these neural mechanisms may aid in the discovery of MDD biomarkers that could identify youth at greatest risk for future MDD development and lead to earlier intervention efforts.

Key Dates

Start date
Oct 15, 2025
Status verified
Oct 2025
Primary completion
Mar 31, 2030
Completion
Mar 31, 2030

Study Design

Enrollment
148 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Computer Task Manipulation
    Participants will complete computer tasks while undergoing an fMRI brain scan.

Primary Outcome Measure

Time Spent in Default Mode-Frontoparietal Network Coactivation Pattern (CAP) [ Time Frame: Throughout a 1.75 hour MRI scan collected during the middle of a 3.5 hour 2nd study session ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
McLean HospitalBelmontMassachusetts02478
Emily Belleau, Ph.D.
[email protected]
617-855-4245
Emily Belleau, Ph.D. (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

Find similar trials in Belmont, MA

By condition
Depression
By specialty
PsychiatryMental healthBehavioral health
By research site
McLean Hospital· Belmont, MA

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