Advancing clinical neuroscience through enhanced tools: Pediatric social anxiety as an example

Abstract

Background: Clinical researchers face challenges when trying to quantify diverse processes engaged during social interactions. We report results from two studies, each demonstrating the potential utility of tools for examining processes engaged during social interactions.Method: In the first study, youth (n = 57) used a smartphone-based tool to rate mood and responses to social events. A subset (n = 20) completed the second, functional magnetic resonance imaging study. This second study related anxiety to error-evoked brain responses in two social conditions-while being observed and when alone.We also combined these tools to bridge clinical, social-contextual, and neural levels of measurement.Results: Results from the first study showed an association between negativelyperceived social experiences and a range of negative emotions. In the second study there was a positive correlation during error monitoring between social-anxiety severity and context-specific activation of the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex.Finally, during imaging, the perceived quality of peer interactions as assessed using the smartphone-based tool, interacted with social context to predict levels of activation in the hippocampus and superior frontal gyrus.Conclusions: By improving measurement, enhanced tools may provide new means for studying relationships among anxiety, brain function, and social interactions.

Using ecological momentary assessment to enhance irritability phenotyping in a transdiagnostic sample of youth

“…First, we evaluated the convergent validity of EMA reports of irritability with gold-standard questionnaires and clinician instruments. We predicted that EMA ratings of irritability symptoms would correlate significantly with gold-standard assessments, to a similar degree as has been shown for anxiety symptoms (Smith et al, 2019). Second, as an initial test of convergence across levels of analysis, we tested associations of EMA-reported irritability symptoms with frustration ratings obtained during a laboratory Stop Signal Task (SST) (Logan, Cowan, & Davis, 1984).…”

“…Previous research links EMA-based and converging laboratory findings, underscoring EMA as a compelling methodology to probe irritability in line with the RDoC initiative. In a recent study from our group, Smith et al (2019) examined EMA ratings in relation to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in a pediatric anxiety sample (n = 18). Participants rated the subjective valence of recent interactions with peers and completed fMRI task probing error monitoring in social versus nonsocial contexts.…”

“…Given our prior use of EMA in pediatric ANX (Smith et al, 2019) and the documented links between irritability and anxiety, we included several EMA-reported anxiety symptoms as relevant comparisons with which to benchmark the irritability results. Thus, parallel to the irritability analyses, we evaluated the convergent validity of EMA-assessed anxiety symptoms and levels of anxiety symptoms across diagnostic groups.…”

Cardiovascular reactivity as a measure of irritability in a transdiagnostic sample of youth: Preliminary associations

“…situ (Murray-Close et al, 2017;Smith et al, 2019). Ambulatory peripheral physiological assessments offer the possibility to provide naturalistic data on mood-related symptoms, with the potential to evaluate the external validity of more stringently controlled laboratory findings (Wilhelm & Grossman, 2010).…”

Rationale and validation of a novel mobile application probing motor inhibition: Proof of concept of CALM-IT

“…Despite efforts for clinicians to make use of research in their practice [5,6], challenges persist in the dissemination of evidence-based tools to directly probe mechanisms underlying psychopathology [7][8][9][10]. Traditionally, identification of behavioral mechanisms underlying psychopathology has relied on rigorous, time-intensive, clinic-based laboratory research [11], tools that are largely inaccessible to the clinical community. Advances in technology have resulted in promising a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 developments in more easily disseminatable and accessible platforms, including the use of mobile technology to measure clinical symptoms during daily life [12].…”