How the teen brain learns to ignore emotional distractions
Neurodevelopment of Emotional Interference Resistance in Adolescence to Adulthood: A Multimodal Neuroimaging Approach
Researchers are tracking brain changes that help teens and young adults ignore emotional distractions so they can stay focused.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11177707 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll do attention and memory tasks while emotional images appear and you'll have brain scans (fMRI) and brainwave recordings (EEG/ERPs). The team follows people aged 12–20 and 21+ over time to see how brain regions like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex mature as emotional distractions become easier to ignore. They combine task performance, multimodal neuroimaging, and symptom questionnaires to link brain changes with internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results are meant to reveal when and how emotional interference resistance improves across adolescence into adulthood.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents (12–20) and young adults (21+) who can attend in-person visits and complete MRI, EEG, cognitive tasks, and symptom questionnaires.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo MRI (for example due to metal implants or severe claustrophobia), who are younger than 12, or who are unwilling to complete scans and tasks are unlikely to be included or to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to the best times and brain targets for therapies that improve attention and emotion control in teens and young adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked amygdala–prefrontal circuitry and ERP changes to emotional control, but combining longitudinal fMRI and EEG across adolescence into adulthood is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Neil Patrick — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Jones, Neil Patrick
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.