Emotional Arousal and Its Brain-Behavior Links During Development
Official title: Emotional Arousal and its Neurobehavioral Associations during Development
Funded at Columbia Univ New York Morningside · NIH-11393751 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A development-focused project will create a simple looming auditory cue to measure how young people’s bodies and minds respond to arousal and how this relates to anxiety, depression, and irritability.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia Univ New York Morningside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $667,712 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130901-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393751 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals around ages 18–21 and beyond who consent to participate in developmental studies and physiological measurements.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not participate in arousal or neurobehavioral measurements or do not experience mood-related symptoms may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a straightforward looming sound task that can be used across different ages to measure rapid arousal responses. It will collect data on pupil changes, heart rate, skin conductance, and behavior to understand how arousal patterns relate to mood problems as people grow from childhood into adulthood. By tracking these measures over time, researchers aim to map how early arousal reactivity connects with later emotional difficulties. The work is designed to be applicable across diverse settings and age ranges to improve understanding of transdiagnostic emotional mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could provide a reliable tool to identify atypical arousal patterns linked to anxiety and mood disorders, informing early interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that arousal measures relate to mood symptoms, but this project aims to standardize a cross-age measurement tool.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia Univ New York Morningside
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tottenham, Nim — Columbia Univ New York Morningside
- Study coordinator: Tottenham, Nim
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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.