Study of Stress and Loss of Pleasure in Adolescents Aged 13 to 15 Using Brain Imaging and Stress Tests

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how different biological responses in the brain and body relate to anhedonia, or the loss of pleasure, during adolescence. This study focuses on adolescents aged 13 to 15 years and aims to identify distinct patterns of brain and stress system activity that may influence the development and severity of anhedonia over time. The goal is to better understand how these biological factors contribute to emotional changes during adolescent development. Participants will complete evaluations at three timepoints at the start of the study, at 10 months, and at 20 months. These assessments include psychological surveys completed remotely, cognitive tests conducted in person, brain imaging using functional MRI, and physiological measures such as heart rate variability and hormone levels from saliva samples. Participants will also engage in two behavioral stress tasks, the Montreal Imaging Stress Task and the Trier Social Stress Test for Children, which involve mental arithmetic and storytelling under evaluation. During the study, adolescents will complete various questionnaires and interviews, provide saliva samples, and participate in brain scans and stress tasks at each visit. Parents or legal guardians will also provide information through surveys. Researchers will measure outcomes such as anhedonia levels, brain activity changes, hormone responses, and nervous system function. The total study duration for each participant is 20 months, allowing observation of changes over time and careful monitoring of stress responses and pleasure experiences.

Stress Trajectories and Anhedonia in Adolescence Research Study