Attention and Social Behavior in Children

Penn State University251 enrolled

Overview

This study examines the way attention may be linked to temperamental risk for anxiety, social behavior and brain processes. The study aims to see if temperamentally at risk youth display an attention bias towards threat, and if anxiety symptoms can be reduced through attentional bias modification training.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

251

Conditions

Anxiety

Interventions

Attention Bias ModificationBEHAVIORAL

This is a modification of the dot-probe task (placebo task) designed to train attention away from threat

Dot-probe taskBEHAVIORAL

This is the active control placebo condition that simply measures levels of attention to threat

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 9 YearsMax age: 12 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 9-12 year olds who do not meet exclusionary criteria (split into groups based on high and low temperamental shyness) Exclusion Criteria: * presence or permanent metal orthodontics or implanted metal devices * severe psychiatric diagnosis * IQ under 70 as assessed by the WISC

Locations (1)

Penn State University Child Study Center

University Park, Pennsylvania, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Anxiety Symptoms

parent and child report of child's anxiety symptoms

Time frame: 8 weeks

Attention bias levels

performance on computerized attention task

Time frame: 8 weeks

Electrophysiological and neural correlates of attention bias

EEG and fMRI measures

Time frame: 8 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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