Neural correlates of distraction and reappraisal in the family context: Associations with symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth
ABSTRACT Objective: Youth coping is consistently associated with risk and resilience for youth internalizing psychopathology. Integrating questionnaire and experimental methods is an important next step in understanding how youth develop, learn, and implement these skills and to identify possible neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these processes. The current study aims to explore associations among youth self reported and laboratory based measures of two methods of coping (distraction and reappraisal) Further, the current study aims to examine associations among neural correlates of distraction and reappraisal with symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth. Methods: Youth (N 69; M 12.24, SD 1.83; 52.9% female) completed self report measures of secondary control coping (RSQ) and symptoms of anxiety (SCARED) and depression (CES D) and a laboratory coping task. While completing the task, prefrontal hemodynamic changes were measured using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Results: Neural activation during reappraisal was significantly negatively correlated with youth anxiety symptoms, and both neural activation and self reported coping were significant independent predictors of anxiety. Youth self reported coping was not associated with neural activation during reappraisal or distraction. Conclusions: The measurement of possible neural markers of risk and resilience in youth is an important area of continued research. Identification of possible mechanisms of change related to anxiety and depression in youth may inform targets of intervention.
Child neuropsychology a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence