Major Depressive Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
stress, depression, adolescents, neuroimaging, familial risk
Brief summary
Stress and a parental history of major depressive disorder (MDD) are among the strongest risk factors for future development of MDD. Studies have shown that having a parental history of MDD may be associated with behavioral, psychophysiological, and hormonal responses to stress that are associated with poorer stress coping. . Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental window linked to increased MDD risk, especially for females, as rates of MDD surge relative to males. Despite the central role of stress in MDD onset, little is known about the brain mechanisms underlying stress responses in susceptible female adolescents at high familial risk for MDD. Also, it is unclear how stress-related brain network alterations may relate to real-world maladaptive stress responses and whether these stress-related brain network changes are predictive of future depression onset. We will fulfill these research gaps by combining neuroimaging with intensive longitudinal tracking of depressive symptomology as well as behavioral and physiological responses to real world stress using smartphone and smartwatch technology. Elucidating these neural mechanisms may aid in the discovery of MDD biomarkers that could identify youth at greatest risk for future MDD development and lead to earlier intervention efforts.
Detailed description
Participants in this research study will include female adolescent between the age of 13 to 15, who may or may not have a parental history of depression. About 148 adolescents will take part in this study along with a biological parent/parent(s) over the next five years. The study will include five sessions over the span of 18-months, including: * A clinical diagnostic interview as well as filling out a series of questionnaires and assessments. This can be done virtually over Zoom or in-person. * The second session will include a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scan to be conducted at the McLean Hospital Imaging Center. Participants will be asked to respond to surveys on their cell phone in the two-weeks following the fMRI brain scan. Participants will also be given and asked to wear a smartwatch that tracks their heart rate, activity level, and sleep patterns for two-weeks. * The third session will include a diagnostic interview, assessments, and questionnaires to be completed six-months after the fMRI brain scan. Participants will be asked to complete surveys on their cell phone during the two-weeks following this six month follow-up session. Participants will also be given and asked to wear a smartwatch that tracks their heart rate, activity level, and sleep patterns for two-weeks. * The fourth session will include a diagnostic interview, assessments, and questionnaires to be completed 12-months after the fMRI brain scan. Participants will be asked to complete surveys on their cell phone during the two-weeks following this 12-month follow-up session. Participants will also be given and asked to wear a smartwatch that tracks their heart rate, activity level, and sleep patterns for two-weeks. * The fifth session will include a diagnostic interview, assessments, and questionnaires to be completed 18-months after the fMRI brain scan. Participants will be asked to complete surveys on their cell phone during the two-weeks following this 18-month follow-up session. Participants will also be given and asked to wear a smartwatch that tracks their heart rate, activity level, and sleep patterns for two-weeks.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALComputer Task Manipulation
Participants will complete computer tasks.
Sponsors
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Mclean Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Case-Control Design
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
13 Years to 15 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
General Inclusion Criteria for all Adolescent Cohorts: * Female sex assigned at birth * Ages 13-15 * English as first language or English Fluency * Right-handed * Have a personal cell phone to complete the ecological momentary assessments * Ability to give signed, informed consent/assent either written or electronic (via RedCap eConsent) * Normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing Additional Inclusion Criteria for Female Adolescents with a Parental History of MDD, high-risk group: • A biological parent meeting DSM-5 criteria for at least one past/current major depressive episode
Exclusion criteria
General
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time Spent in Default Mode-Frontoparietal Network Coactivation Pattern (CAP) | Throughout a 1.75 hour MRI scan collected during the middle of a 3.5 hour 2nd study session | Time Spent in Default Mode-Frontoparietal Network Coactivation Pattern (CAP). An fMRI variable. (the number of volumes spent in this CAP). |
| Persistence in default mode network-frontoparietal network co-activation pattern | Throughout a 1.75 hour MRI scan collected during the middle of a 3.5 hour 2nd study session | Persistence in default mode network-frontoparietal network CAP. An fMRI measure. (the average number of consecutive volumes spent in this CAP) |
| Depressive Symptoms | Collected at baseline, the beginning of a 1.75 hour MRI, and at 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-ups | The total score on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire \[Min Score: 0, Max Score: 66, higher scores mean more severe depressive symptoms) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| heart rate variability | Collected during a two-week period immediately after the 2nd study session (i.e., the MRI session), and then in the two-weeks immediately after the 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up sessions, respectively | heart rate variability expressed as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) |
| Cortisol | Collected throughout a 3.5 hour second study session that involves a 1.75 hour MRI conducted at the middle of the session | Saliva rating to be collected throughout the fMRI brain scan |
| Sleep duration | Collected during a two-week period immediately after the 2nd study session (i.e., the MRI session), and then in the two-weeks immediately after the 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up sessions, respectively | sleep duration computed as the difference in minutes between sleep onset and sleep offset |
| Stress Ratings | Collected during a two-week period immediately after the 2nd study session (i.e., the MRI session), and then in the two-weeks immediately after the 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up sessions, respectively | Stress ratings (0-100 sliding bar scale) collected via smartphone. |
| Average heart rate (beats per minute) | Collected during a two-week period immediately after the 2nd study session (i.e., the MRI session), and then in the two-weeks immediately after the 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up sessions, respectively | compute average heart rate through smartwatch technology |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactEmily Belleau
Outcome results
None listed