How children's responses to rewards relate to early anxiety and depression risk after maternal depression
Charting Positive Valence Systems Trajectories in Offspring of Depressed Mothers to Predict Internalizing Symptoms in Early Childhood
We are following young children of mothers with depression to see whether changes in how they respond to rewards can signal early anxiety or depression risk.
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-11176840 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child was born to a mother who has experienced depression, this project will follow them through preschool and early school years to track how they respond to positive events and rewards. Researchers will use child-friendly behavioral games and noninvasive brain measures across multiple visits to measure reward responsiveness and related brain activity over time. The team uses an accelerated longitudinal design so they can chart developmental trajectories more quickly by following overlapping age groups. The goal is to link those patterns to early signs of anxiety or depression in high-risk children to inform future prevention efforts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children in preschool through early school age whose mothers have a history of depression are the primary candidates for participation.
Not a fit: Children without exposure to maternal depression or those well beyond early childhood are unlikely to be helped directly by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify at-risk children earlier so supports or prevention programs can be offered before symptoms worsen.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have found reduced reward responsiveness in children of depressed parents, but repeated longitudinal mapping of these brain and behavior changes in early childhood is relatively new.
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.