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NCT Number: NCT05981612

Impact of Emotional Reactivity on Dysfunctional Decision-Making in NSSI Adolescents

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as direct, intentional physical injury without suicidal intention. Studies revealed that dysfunctional interpersonal relationships and reward-related decision-making may play crucial roles in this maladaptive behavior, especially in adolescents. These interpersonal decision contexts are characterized by constant updating of expectations of rewards and the actual received rewards as well as the associated emotional reactions. These processes have recently been computationally formalized as prediction errors (PE), specifically reward PEs, valence PEs, and arousal PEs (Heffner et al., 2021; Nat Hum Behav). In the current study, the investigators aim to investigate whether these PEs make discernible contributions to social decisions in the context of unfair experiences among adolescents with NSSI and matched healthy control adolescents (HC). Specifically the investigators hypothesized that: 1) reward and emotional PEs show significant predictions of punishment decisions in both groups, 2) however, compared to HC adolescents, the NSSI group will exhibit selective dysfunctions in emotional but not reward PEs leading to punish a norm proposer who provided unfair offers.

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Key information

Conditions

Nonsuicidal Self Injury Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Prediction Errors Self-Injurious Behavior

Age range

15 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Lyuan Li

CONTACT

[email protected]

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 15-18 years
  • right-handed
  • normal or corrected normal visual acuity
  • meet the proposed DSM-5 frequency criteria (e.g., ≥5 days of NSSI behaviors in the past year)

Exclusion criteria

  • diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, other
  • psychiatric disorders, etc.
  • high suicidal risk
  • recent use of medications that can affect neural activity
  • have received or are receiving Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) other treatment for emotional problems within the past 6 months
  • have a contraindication to MRI scanning (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia or other conditions that make them inappropriate for MRI scanning)

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Reward prediction errors (PEs)

    Time frame: About 20 minutes

    Reward PEs will be calculated by the differences between the experienced (when be offered) reward and predicted (before the offer) reward.

  2. Valence prediction errors (PEs)

    Time frame: About 20 minutes

    Valence PEs will be calculated by the differences between the experienced emotional valence and predicted emotional valence.

  3. Arousal prediction errors (PEs)

    Time frame: About 20 minutes

    Arousal PEs will be calculated by the differences between the experienced emotional arousal and predicted emotional arousal.

  4. The prediction of PEs of punishment decisions

    Time frame: About 20 minutes

    All PEs and groups (NSSI, HC) will be used in a regression model to examined whether there is any alteration in the NSSI group when PEs are predicted to punishment (reject) decisions.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Benjamin Becker

CONTACT

[email protected]

+86.028-61830867

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Emotional Reactivity on Decision-Making in Adolescents With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Aug 8, 2023
Registry last updated
Apr 11, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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