Examining how childhood temperament affects brain function

The Psychobiology of Temperament: An fMRI Study

This study looks at how different temperaments in children affect their brain activity during emotional tasks to see if it can help us understand anxiety disorders.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 1410 (estimated)
• Ages: 2 Months to 60 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) (nih)
• Locations: 1 site (Bethesda, Maryland)
• Trial ID: NCT00060775 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational study aims to investigate the relationship between childhood temperament and brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It focuses on how different emotional tasks influence brain changes in children classified by their temperamental traits. The study includes a diverse population of individuals aged 2 months to 60 years, examining neural circuits associated with behavioral inhibition and risk-taking. By analyzing brain function in response to emotional stimuli, the research seeks to understand the vulnerability factors for anxiety disorders in children.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are children aged 2 months to 60 years, particularly those with varying temperamental traits.

Not a fit: Patients with chronic medical conditions that interfere with MRI tasks or those with current psychiatric disorders requiring acute treatment may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance understanding of how temperament influences the risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders in children.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown promising results in understanding the links between temperament and brain function, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.

Eligibility criteria

* INCLUSION CRITERIA:
* Consent: Can give consent/assent.
* Age: 2 months-14 months; 7-60 years
* Children in Cohort 4: Age: 9-11 years
* IQ: All subjects will have IQ greater than 70. (exception: infants will not need to meet this criteria)
* Psychopathology: all subjects will be free of lifetime history of psychosis and pervasive developmental disorder
* Specific to infant cohort: between the ages of 4 and 14 months of age and is free of any known developmental disability or medical condition

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

* Any chronic or acute medical condition severe enough to interfere with task performance or completion of questionnaires; Any medical condition that increases risk for MRI (e.g. pacemaker, metallic foreign body in eye, dental braces)
* Any medical condition that increases risk for MRI (e.g. pacemaker, metallic foreign body in eye, dental braces).
* Any current axis I psychiatric disorder necessitating acute treatment.
* Claustrophobia
* Pregnancy
* Specific to infant cohort:

  1. Was born prematurely, before 36 weeks gestation
  2. Had a birth weight significantly below normal for gestational age
  3. Has any known developmental disability or medical condition
  4. Has any metallic objects in their body (e.g., Has implanted electrical devices, brain stimulators, some types of dental implants, aneurysm clips (metal clips on the wall of a large artery), metallic prostheses (including metal pins and rods, heart valves, and cochlear implants), implanted delivery pump,
  5. Comes from a home where the primary language spoken is not English
* NIMH employees and staff and their immediate family members will be excluded from the study per NIMH policy.

Where this trial is running

Bethesda, Maryland

• National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — Bethesda, Maryland, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Daniel S Pine, M.D. — National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Study coordinator: Daniel S Pine, M.D.

Conditions: Developmental Psychology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Adolescence, Emotion, Behavioral Inhibition, Depression, Natural History