9 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Youth exposed to early life adversity (ELA) are known to be at greater risk for depression and suicidality and account for almost half of the youth suffering from psychiatric diseases today. Youth exposed to ELA consistently report symptoms of anhedonia as well as dysregulated positive affect. The present project will test the efficacy of PAT in a sample of ELA-exposed adolescents in order to determine whether PAT increases positive affect, and subsequently symptoms of depression. For the initial pilot phase of the investigation, the investigators will recruit up to 30 adolescents exposed to two or more childhood adversities (ACEs) who do not currently have major depressive disorder, and randomize them (1:1) to either participate in PAT or a waitlist control condition. For the second phase of the investigation, the investigators will recruit up to 300 adolescents exposed to two or more childhood adversities (ACEs) who do not currently have major depressive disorder, and randomize them (1:1) to either participate in PAT or supportive psychotherapy. For both phases, at study enrollment, then 4-, 8, and 12-months thereafter the investigators will measure positive affect and depressive symptoms (including anhedonia and reward sensitivity). The results of this study will be used to inform whether PAT has the potential to prevent major depressive episodes among adversity-exposed youth.
This study will test the feasibility of delivering smartphone-based mindfulness and coping interventions to a sample of emerging/young adults with a history of early life adversity (ELA). 80 participants with a history of ELA will be randomly assigned to complete a two-week mindfulness training intervention or matched coping control intervention, both involving 14 foundational audio-guided lessons and practice prompts randomly delivered 3x daily. At baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up lab assessments, participants will complete questionnaires and provide blood samples for assessment of markers of inflammation. Data assessing subjective and physiological stress in daily life will be collected during the intervention and for one week before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. Passive sensor data will be continuously collected from participants' smartphones and wearable devices to develop exploratory models that estimate and predict daily life stress. Data will be used to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of interventions and assessments in an ELA sample, test effects of mindfulness training on daily life stress and markers of inflammation in an ELA sample, and develop exploratory machine learning models of stress from passive sensor data.
Sexual minority women (SMW) in mid-age are at significantly higher risk for obesity, which is associated with greater vulnerability to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and mortality. Further, this group also has elevated risk of early life adversities (ELA), such as childhood trauma and abuse. ELA has been linked to increased risks of midlife obesity and food addiction. However, interventions addressing this public health issue among SMW is scarce. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), delivered via smartphone, could be an effective approach to reduce the dual burden of obesity among ELA-affected SMW in their midlife. The study investigators developed an app-based MBI (28 daily modules, self-paced), "Eat Right Now" (ERN), which uses mindfulness to target craving-based eating. The current single-arm, exploratory clinical trial evaluates the utility of ERN among mid-aged sexual minority women who are overweight (BMI larger or equal to 25) and have a history of early life adversities. Specifically, two aims guide the study: (1) Investigators will examine the feasibility and acceptability of ERN among mid-aged sexual minority women who are overweight and have a history of early life adversities. Exit-interviews will be conducted to understand women's experience and inform future adaptation of the intervention. (2) Preliminary, pre-post trial efficacy will be evaluated. Participants will be screened using a two-part process taking place online, via an online screener and a Zoom-based screening. Research assessments will take place at baseline, post-intervention, and 4-month follow-up, digitally using using Qualtrics, LLC (Provo, UT, USA) survey management tool. Exit-interviews at post-intervention will be conducted via Zoom.
Early life adversity can affect children's physical and mental health. The Resilience Clinic is a support program for young children and their caregivers who have been exposed to significant adversity, aiming to prevent the harmful effects of stress and improve child health, behavior, and development while also reducing caregiver stress. This study seeks to evaluate the Resilience Clinic, assessing the intervention's impact on child health, behavior, and development and caregiver stress and mental health.
To examine the behavioral, psychosocial, and biologic impact of resilience-promoting interventions associated with primary care.
Growing up in a low-income household has been shown to increase risk for, and susceptibility to many illnesses.The purpose of the study is to test an affective intervention for reversing biological risk factors, as related to childhood adversity, in midlife. Participants will be asked to make two lab visits; attend six weekly, 1-hour meditation classes; as well as complete brief online daily surveys for 11 weeks, five biweekly surveys, and two 30-minute surveys prior to each lab visit. During the lab visits, participants will have their psychophysiology monitored for heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and pulse. Participants will also have their blood drawn. All surveys and questionnaires inquire about participants' current demographics, family history, perceptions about life and well-being, physical health, and monetary choices.
The goal of this study is to investigate the role of physical pain in the link between childhood adversity and later psychopathology. Children who are participating in a larger longitudinal study will be asked to submerge their hand in cold water and hold it in the cold water as long as possible. Participants will do this twice, once alone and once holding the hand of their parent, to examine the role of parental support in pain development. The study will examine self-report of pain and salivary cortisol response to pain. It is hypothesized that children who have been exposed to more adversity will experience increased pain response and increased psychopathology symptoms. It is expected that higher social support in the family will decrease this relationship.
This project aims to determine whether neurofeedback augmented mindfulness intervention increases the plasticity in brain areas affected by exposure to early life adversity in youth. The study will first establish the augmented mindfulness training protocol targeting the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) with real-time fMRI neurofeedback for use with healthy control and ELA-exposed youth. Next, in addition to ongoing data collection with healthy controls, ELA-exposed youth will be randomly assigned to either complete the neurofeedback augmented mindfulness training (AMT) or sham condition protocol. Effect of augmented mindfulness training on state measures of mindfulness, perceived stress, and affect will be examined.
This study will examine the effect of a real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dyadic neurofeedback protocol with mothers and their adolescent daughters. Mothers will view a moving bar showing their daughters' brain activity on a computer screen while talking to their daughters.