RECRUITING

Experimental Manipulation of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms and the Role Played on Reward Function in Teens

Description

Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity and greater impulsivity. On top of this, many teenagers experience chronic sleep deprivation and misalignment of their circadian rhythms due to biological shifts in their sleep/wake patterns paired with early school start times. Many studies find that this increases the risk for substance use (SU). However, what impact circadian rhythm and sleep disruption either together or independently have on the neuronal circuitry that controls reward and cognition, or if there are interventions that might help to modify these disruptions is unknown. Project 2 (P2) of the CARRS center will test an innovative and mechanistic model of brain circuitry that uses multi-method approaches, takes a developmental perspective, and incorporates key sleep and reward constructs.

Conditions

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
Talk to us

Related Conditions:

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

Study Overview

On this page

Study Details

Study overview

Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity and greater impulsivity. On top of this, many teenagers experience chronic sleep deprivation and misalignment of their circadian rhythms due to biological shifts in their sleep/wake patterns paired with early school start times. Many studies find that this increases the risk for substance use (SU). However, what impact circadian rhythm and sleep disruption either together or independently have on the neuronal circuitry that controls reward and cognition, or if there are interventions that might help to modify these disruptions is unknown. Project 2 (P2) of the CARRS center will test an innovative and mechanistic model of brain circuitry that uses multi-method approaches, takes a developmental perspective, and incorporates key sleep and reward constructs.

Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms and Sleep Project 2

Experimental Manipulation of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms and the Role Played on Reward Function in Teens

Condition
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Pittsburgh

Western Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Typically enrolled in a traditional high-school with synchronous learning (in-person or online synchronous learning, but not cyber- or home-schooling) \[school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic are an exception to this\]
  • * Physically and psychiatrically healthy
  • * Provision of written informed consent and assent
  • * Additional inclusion criterion for Experimental protocol: Meets operational definition of late sleep timing (\>11:15PM habitual bedtime)
  • * History of alcohol, cannabis, or illicit drug use in the past month, or greater than monthly use in the past year
  • * Significant or unstable acute or chronic medical conditions
  • * Frequent headaches or migraines
  • * History of seizures
  • * Current serious psychiatric disorder (e.g., depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, psychotic disorder diagnosis, alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder) that would interfere with completion of study procedures
  • * Family history of bipolar disorder among first degree relative
  • * Current syndromal sleep disorders other than insomnia and delayed sleep phase disorder
  • * MRI contraindications (ie, absence of metal in the body, pregnancy, claustrophobia)
  • * Pregnancy
  • * Medications that increase sensitivity to blue light/photosensitizing medications, including psychiatric neuroleptic drugs, psoralen drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, etc.
  • * Changes to psychotropic medication regimen in the 2 weeks prior to enrollment, and/or major changes to medications during the study protocol
  • * If participants have an average bedtime that is later than 3:00AM or an average wake time later than 11:00AM they cannot participate in the study
  • * Participants should be EXCLUDED for other sleep disorders that require ongoing treatment
  • * Participants should be EXCLUDED for other sleep disorders that cause significant distress or impairment, per DSM 5 criteria in the Sleep SCID.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 Years to 15 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Pittsburgh,

Brant Hasler, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Pittsburgh

Study Record Dates

2025-06-30