Anxiety
Conditions
Brief summary
This is a multi-site study to examine error-related brain activity (i.e., the error-related negativity) and anxiety symptoms in 11 to 14 year-olds (N=600) at two time points separated by two years. The study examines the degree to which error-related negativity can predict anxiety prospectively over two years, and whether a computerized game that alters attention to threat can alter error-related negativity and trajectories of anxiety.
Detailed description
Approximately 600 youths between the ages of 11 and 14 and their parents will be assessed. Adolescents will be evaluated at baseline using event-related potentials, self-report, and interview-based measures. The error-related negativity will be evaluated immediately (it takes less than 5 minutes to process and score a single subjects' error-related negativity ), and adolescents with good error-related negativity data (\ 90%, based on scorable error-related negativity data) will be randomly assigned to either an 8-week (i.e., 16 session) adaptive attention bias modification (N=180) or control condition (N=180) or a waitlist condition (N=180) group. Each session lasts 20 minutes, and participants will be asked to complete two 20-minute sessions per week. Participants will be assessed immediately at post, using the same measures from the baseline assessment. All participants will complete a 2-year follow-up lab visit using the same measures from the baseline assessment.
Interventions
OTHERAttention Bias Modification
A computer game is used to facilitate attention away from threatening words.
Sponsors
San Diego State University
Florida State University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Masking description
Research assistants assign participants to condition; the investigator is unaware of the assignment. Participants are unaware of the distinction between ABM and CC, though they would know if they were in the wait list group.
Intervention model description
Adolescents are randomized to either a game that trains attention away from threat (attention bias modification), a game that trains attention but unrelated to threat (control condition), or a wait list group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
11 Years to 14 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* children and parent must speak English well enough to complete the study assessments
Exclusion criteria
* current threat of harm to self or others, bipolar illness, psychosis, thought disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, mental retardation, neurological diseases that impair cognition, or significant head injuries (past 3 months).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Anxiety Symptoms | Baseline to 8 week | Symptoms of Anxiety on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed