Stress patterns and anhedonia during adolescence
Official title: Stress Trajectories and Anhedonia in Adolescence Research Study
Run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · NCT07040449 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will see if combining brain scans, stress hormones, and heart-rate measures can identify patterns linked to developing anhedonia in 13–15-year-olds.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 13 Years to 15 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 192 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 12, 2025 |
| Main results expected | February 2030 |
| Study ends | February 2030 |
| Registry record updated | August 17, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07040449 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adolescents aged 13–15 who can provide assent, meet hearing and vision requirements, and are not taking antipsychotics or other medications that would interfere with cardiovascular or endocrine assessments are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Teens with MRI contraindications, central nervous system disorders or brain injury, neurodevelopmental disabilities, impaired intellectual functioning, or current use of medications that affect cardiac or endocrine measures are unlikely to participate or benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This project follows 192 adolescents aged 13–15 over 20 months with assessments at baseline, 10 months, and 20 months. At each timepoint participants complete remote mood and pleasure questionnaires, in-person cognitive testing, saliva samples for cortisol, physiological recordings (HRV, PPG, ICG, PEP), and fMRI scans. Standardized stress tasks (Montreal Imaging Stress Task and the Trier Social Stress Test for Children) are used to provoke brain and body responses. The study will combine these measures to identify distinct stress-response patterns related to the onset and course of anhedonia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify teens at risk for persistent anhedonia earlier and guide more targeted prevention or treatment approaches.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked stress biology to reduced pleasure, but few longitudinal adolescent studies have combined fMRI, endocrine, and detailed cardiac measures, making this integrated approach relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 13-15 years old at study entry * Ability to understand and sign an assent form * Meets study hearing and vision requirements Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of medications that would interfere with cardiovascular or endocrine assessments * Metal in the body or other MRI exclusion * Medical condition or injury that could confound brain imaging evaluations or interfere with cardiovascular or endocrine assessments * Impaired intellectual functioning * Diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disability
Where it's running
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Aysenil Belger, PhD — University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Clinical Research Coordinator
- Email: staars@unc.edu
- Phone: (919) 351-5201
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.