Shaping Neural Activity Through Parenting

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Depression; Anxiety
• Interventions: Behavioral: Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

• Registration Number: NCT02667522
• Lead Sponsor: Stony Brook University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test causal links between dimensions of positive and harsh parenting and children's brain responses to rewards and errors, using a parenting intervention.

Detailed Description

Depression and anxiety are among the most frequently diagnosed psychological disorders, with persistent patterns of impairment evident from childhood through adulthood. Impaired functioning of core brain systems that respond to reward and errors may increase risk for depression and anxiety. Importantly, these neural risk markers for depression and anxiety appear to be shaped, at least in part, by environmental input. Problematic parenting is a key environmental factor involved in the intergenerational transmission of depression and anxiety. Low positive parenting is associated with blunted brain responses to reward and harsh parenting is associated with heightened brain responses to errors. This study uses an evidence-based parenting program to test causal links between dimensions of positive and harsh parenting and children's brain responses to rewards and errors. Participants will include 80 6- to 7-year-old children and their mothers who will be randomly assigned to participate in a parenting program (Parent Child Interaction Therapy: PCIT) or to a waitlist control group, and brain responses to rewards and errors will be assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2016-01-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-01-26
• Study First Posted: 2016-01-29
• Study Start: 2016-04
• Status Verified: 2018-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-04-16
• Last Update Posted: 2018-04-18
• Primary Completion: 2019-01
• Study Completion: 2019-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 160

Inclusion Criteria

• Child is 6-7 years old
• Maternal history of anxiety or depression
• Maternal self-report of low positive/high harsh parenting

Exclusion Criteria

• Child has developmental disorder

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Parenting Intervention	Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)	Parenting Intervention: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Event-Related Potentials (ERP)	On average, 1 month after intervention	ERP responses to reward (i.e., feedback negativity) and errors (i.e., error-related negativity)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Parenting quality	On average, 1 month after intervention	Observational assessments of positive and harsh parenting
Child anxiety symptoms	On average, 1 month after intervention	Parent Questionnaire
Child depressive symptoms	On average, 1 month after intervention	Parent Questionnaire
Child anxiety	On average, 1 month after intervention	Structured diagnostic interview
Child depression	On average, 1 month after intervention	Structured diagnostic interview

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Stony Brook University; 🇺🇸 Stony Brook, New York, United States