Personalized computer training to reduce anxious thinking in kids and teens
Threat Interpretation Bias as Cognitive Marker and Treatment Target in Pediatric Anxiety
This project offers a personalized computer program to help children and teens with anxiety learn to interpret uncertain situations in calmer, less threatening ways.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denver, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10495445 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has anxiety, they would use computer exercises that present unclear situations and give corrective feedback when they choose a threatening interpretation so they learn to pick more neutral interpretations. The program is tailored to each young person and delivered over multiple sessions to change automatic thinking patterns. Researchers will measure whether changes in interpretation style lead to reductions in anxiety symptoms. The work focuses on clinically anxious children and adolescents and may include in-person or remote computerized sessions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Clinically anxious children and adolescents who can complete computer-based tasks and whose caregivers consent to participation are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children with severe comorbid psychiatric conditions, those unable to use computerized tasks, or youth whose anxiety is not driven by interpretation bias may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce anxious thinking and lower anxiety symptoms in children and teens using a brief, scalable, computer-based training.
How similar studies have performed: Related computerized cognitive bias modification has shown preliminary benefits in adults, but evidence in clinically anxious youth is limited.
Where this research is happening
Denver, United States
- University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) — Denver, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rozenman, Michelle Sherry — University of Denver (Colorado Seminary)
- Study coordinator: Rozenman, Michelle Sherry
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.