Study of Emotional and Behavioral Differences and Their Link to Thinking Using Smartphone GPS Tracking

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how real-world behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and brain activity are connected by using smartphone technology to collect location, emotional, and cognitive data. This clinical trial involves 100 participants and builds on an observational study approved in 2015. The focus is on understanding individual differences in emotional and behavioral patterns and their relationship to cognition. Participants will use a mobile phone sensor application that collects data continuously through accelerometers, WiFi, and GPS. They will be asked to adjust their levels of exploration on certain days, either increasing or decreasing activity, over a period of up to six months. This approach allows researchers to observe changes in behavior and emotional response in real time. During the study, participants will respond to daily text messages about their current emotions and undergo functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI scans. The primary measurement is the change in positive emotional response over up to six months, with secondary measurements including changes in negative emotional response. The study involves continuous data collection, behavioral monitoring, and brain imaging to understand how emotions and cognition are linked.

Geolocation Positional System (GPS) Experience