Social Feedback and Dysfunctional Risk Taking in NSSI Adolescents

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as direct, intentional physical injury without suicidal intention. Problematic interpersonal relationships and decision-making have been demonstrated to play crucial roles in this maladaptive behavior, especially for adolescents. Accumulating evidence suggests that decision processes and risk-taking are strongly influenced by the affective state of the individual. However, whether these interactions are disrupted in NSSI adolescents has not been systematically examined. In the current study, the investigators modified one of the most widely used paradigms for measuring an individual's risk decision-making, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The investigators combine social reward (green balloon), punishment (red balloon), and control feedback (yellow balloon), to investigate whether the NSSI adolescents have dysfunctional risk-taking behavior while facing different social outcomes. The investigators recruit one group of NSSI adolescents (n = 40) and one health control (HC) group (n = 40), to compare their risk-related decisions during the emotional BART. The investigators hypothesize that compared to HC, NSSI adolescents will show altered effects of social reward and punishment on risk-related decision-making, in particular higher risk avoidance in the context of social punishment.

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Key information

Conditions

Nonsuicidal Self Injury Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Risk-Taking 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

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Risky avoidance measured by BART

Time frame: About 20 minutes

Adjusted number of pumps (average number of pumps excluding balloons that exploded) as the index of risk avoidance. Alterations in the patients will be determined by using ANOVA models with the group (NSSI vs. HC) as a between-subject factor and emotional feedback (social reward, social punishment, and control) as a within-subject factor.
Decision-making measured by BART

Time frame: About 20 minutes

Earned money (total amount of money earned in the task) as the index of decision-making. Alterations in the patients will be determined by using ANOVA models with the group (NSSI vs. HC) as a between-subject factor and emotional feedback (social reward, social punishment, and control) as a within-subject factor.

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

Risk and Social Feedback 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.

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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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