Parent-Adolescent Training on Neurofeedback and Synchrony

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The study will test a real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) hyperscanning neurofeedback protocol for feasibility with ten mothers and their psychiatrically healthy adolescent daughters, with the eventual goal to test this in a sample of depressed adolescents in a future study.

Detailed Description
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This study will utilize a rigorous multi-method, multi-informant design to examine the effects of dyadic neurofeedback (dnf) on adolescent brain activation with fMRI hyperscanning. Parents and adolescents will also report on emotion regulation, depressive symptoms, and parenting practices. Data collection procedures will take place at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), which is equipped with two identical scanners that have advanced real-time fMRI systems capable of conducting parallel fMRI hyperscanning, including the capacity for neurofeedback. Parents will complete a phone screen to determine initial eligibility. If initial study criteria are met, a 2-hour in-person lab visit will be scheduled where mothers and daughters will complete consent/assent; diagnostic interviews; surveys on emotion regulation, parenting practices, depression, and anxiety; and additional screening. Survey data will be used for preliminary exploratory analyses. Based on data collected from the screening visit, participants will be invited to participate in the full study: a 4-hour visit where mothers and daughters will complete emotion ratings, mock scanner training, and fMRI tasks individually and together using hyperscanning (scan time = 16 min resting-state [2 runs], 7 min structural MRI, 40 min fMRI tasks, 10 min clinical MRI scans).

Official Title
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The Dyadic Inter-Brain Signaling (DIBS) Project With Parent-Adolescent Training on Neurofeedback and Synchrony

Conditions
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Testing Protocol With Healthy Individuals for Feasibility

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Real-time fMRI neurofeedback


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Eligible for fMRI Sufficient English fluency to complete tasks BMI ≦ 40.0 Right-handed Biological female Co-residing at least 4 days/week Adult participants: Biological mother of adolescent participant Adult participants:Primary caregiver > 50% of child's lifespan Adult participants:BMI ≧ 18.0 Adolescent participants: Age 13-17 years Adolescent participants: BMI ≧ 16.0 Exclusion Criteria: Current psychiatric diagnosis Medications influencing fMRI Medical conditions influencing fMRI Alcohol or psychoactive drug on scan day Adolescent participants: Neurodevelopmental delay Adolescent participants: History of mood or psychotic disorder Adolescent participants: History of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 13 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Real-time fMRI neurofeedback<br>All participants will receive neurofeedback from the target region (no sham condition). | Behavioral: Real-time fMRI neurofeedback<br>* Participants will attempt to regulate own and/or their partner's brain activation in a specified brain region via real-time fMRI neurofeedback.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Neurofeedback Rating Scale | Rating scale of perceived effectiveness in completing the task and changing brain activation. Likert scale ranging from 0-10, with higher numbers indicating greater perceived effectiveness. | Baseline (Acquired during scan session) | 
| Emotion Rating Scale | Rating scale asking about current experience of various emotions (happy, sad, angry, etc.). Scale ranges from 0-10, with higher numbers indicating more intense emotions. | Baseline (Acquired during scan session) | 
| Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) Signal Changes (Brain Activation) | Activation in the brain region targeted for neurofeedback and associated regions; resting-state network activity | Baseline (Acquired during scan session) |