Award
National Institute of Mental Health 5R01MH130437-04
Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Underlying the Onset of Depression Amount At-Risk Youth: The Role of Dysregulation in the Negative Valence System
Recipient
Pennsylvania State University
Award Amount
$567,931.00
Ceiling
$567,931.00
Awarded
February 25, 2026
Identifier
5R01MH130437-04
A longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to identify brain-based biomarkers predicting depression onset in youth at risk due to maternal history of major depressive disorder, using multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral assessments.
Description
This project employs a multimodal, longitudinal study to test whether functional properties of brain networks supporting negative emotion processing predict future depression trajectories among high risk and low risk youth, and how these may change over time with depression emergence. The study will recruit 250 youth aged 9-14, free of major depressive disorder at baseline, with assessments at baseline, 12, and 24 months, including tasks probing negative social-emotional reactivity and regulation via fMRI, ERPs, and behavioral measures. The findings aim to identify biomarkers linked to the development and course of major depressive disorder, informing targeted prevention and intervention strategies.