Stress Trajectories and Anhedonia in Adolescence Research Study

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL · Jun 18, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at how the brain and body respond to stress in teenagers, and how these responses might be linked to anhedonia—a condition where someone finds it hard to feel pleasure or enjoy things. Researchers want to understand if different patterns in brain activity and stress responses can explain why some adolescents develop anhedonia and how it changes over time.

The study is open to teens aged 13 to 15 who can understand and agree to take part. Over about 20 months, participants will visit the research team three times. During these visits, they’ll complete surveys, provide saliva samples to check hormone levels, have brain scans, and take part in mild stress tests and thinking activities. Parents or guardians will also be asked to fill out some surveys. The study is carefully designed to include only teens without certain medical conditions or medications that could affect the results. This research hopes to better understand how stress affects young people’s ability to enjoy life, which could help improve future treatments.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 13-15 years old at study entry
• • Ability to understand and sign an assent form
• • Meets study hearing and vision requirements
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current use of antipsychotic medication
• • Current use of medications that would interfere with cardiovascular or endocrine assessments
• • Metal in the body or other MRI exclusion
• • Central nervous system disorder or brain injury that could confound brain imaging evaluations
• • Presence of a medical condition that would interfere with cardiovascular or endocrine assessments
• • Impaired intellectual functioning
• • Diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disability