How infants of depressed mothers respond to emotional cues
Official title: Development of Attentional Biases for Affective Cues in Infants of Mothers with Depression
Funded at State University of Ny,binghamton · NIH-10980620 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how babies between 6 and 12 months old, whose moms have experienced depression, react to sad faces, to see if they tend to avoid them and how that affects their feelings, compared to babies whose moms are not depressed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of Ny,binghamton NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Binghamton, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $681,211 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH132667-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10980620 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are infants aged 6 to 12 months whose mothers have either a history of major depressive disorder or no lifetime history of depression.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older than 12 months or whose mothers do not fit the specified depression history criteria may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how infants aged 6 to 12 months, whose mothers have a history of major depressive disorder (MDD), respond to emotional cues, particularly sad faces. The study aims to understand the attentional biases these infants may develop, such as avoiding sad expressions, and how these biases relate to their emotional arousal. By comparing infants of depressed mothers to those of non-depressed mothers, the research seeks to uncover the transactional influences between mothers and their infants and the specific aspects of maternal depression that impact infant behavior. The methodology includes regular assessments of the infants' responses to emotional stimuli over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to early interventions that help mitigate the risk of emotional and behavioral issues in children of depressed mothers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has established a link between maternal depression and children's emotional responses, but this study aims to explore new aspects of this relationship, making it a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of Ny,binghamton
Binghamton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gibb, Brandon E — State University of Ny,binghamton
- Study coordinator: Gibb, Brandon E
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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.