Brain development and depression risk in children of mothers with depression
Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Underlying the Onset of Depression Amount At-Risk Youth: The Role of Dysregulation in the Negative Valence System
This project looks at whether patterns of brain activity during negative emotions can identify children of mothers with depression who are more likely to develop depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320824 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If my child takes part, researchers will collect brain scans (fMRI) while my child completes tasks that involve negative emotions and social situations. They will follow children over several years, comparing those whose mothers had major depression to those whose mothers did not. The study combines brain imaging with behavior and symptom measures to see whether specific brain-network differences predict who later develops depression. The goal is to find objective markers that could help target prevention for high-risk kids.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The ideal candidates are school-age children, especially those whose mothers have a history of major depressive disorder and who are not yet showing full-blown depression.
Not a fit: Children without a family history of depression or people who already have a current major depressive disorder may not directly benefit from this risk-identification research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect children at high risk for depression earlier so they can get targeted prevention and support before symptoms start.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller studies have found similar brain-network differences in high-risk youth, but this large, long-term multimodal effort is a more definitive and novel test of those findings.
Where this research is happening
University Park, United States
- Pennsylvania State University, the — University Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burkhouse, Katie L — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Burkhouse, Katie L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.