Parental Influences on Emotion Regulation Pathways Among Youth with and without ADHD

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Project Summary/Abstract Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder (i.e., 11% of youth). Traditionally, ADHD has been conceptualized as a disorder of cognitive functioning; however, work by the applicant and others has emphasized the need to assess emotional functioning in order to better conceptualize the disorder and tailor clinical care. Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic factor that is often present among youth with ADHD and can lead to poor academic, functional, and social outcomes. Importantly, specific parental factors may serve as mechanisms of risk or resilience in the development of child emotion regulation in ADHD. However, parental influences on child brain-behavior associations remain understudied in this population. Thus, a multi-method approach is necessary to determine mechanisms that lead to the development of emotion dysregulation and to identify the most at-risk youth. The primary goal of the proposed research and training activities are to develop an independent program of research examining the influence of parental factors on emotion regulation among youth with ADHD. Assessment of emotion dysregulation will be conducted via behavioral report and resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and cortical networks encompassing regions within the prefrontal cortex. The applicant is already well-versed in behavioral and psychophysiological analysis of emotion regulation in ADHD, and has completed introductory training on use of ABCD data. Thus, the proposed training plan highlights skill development in: 1) child neurodevelopment and psychopathology, 2) fMRI data acquisition and design, 3) rs fMRI data analysis and interpretation, and 4) professional development related to effective science communication. The proposed study seeks to examine the effects of parental factors (e.g., poor monitoring/supervision, high conflict) on emotion regulatory systems (i.e., behavioral, central nervous system). As part of the ABCD study, approximately 12,000 child participants (an estimated 1,300 with ADHD; aged 9-10 years) completed behavioral reports of parental monitoring/supervision and underwent an fMRI scan protocol during which resting-state functional connectivity was measured. Parents completed a diagnostic clinical interview and reported on family conflict and child dysregulation. This data will allow the applicant to address two primary aims: 1) Examine associations between parental factors and child dysregulation among youth with and without ADHD, and 2) Examine associations between parental factors, child resting-state functional connectivity, and child dysregulation among youth with and without ADHD. The ultimate goal of this work will be to improve characterization of ADHD, to identify potential treatment targets for the most at-risk youth, and to set the stage for longitudinal work on child brain development as it relates to emotional functioning and functional outcomes. These training and research goals will support the development of PI Feeney in obtaining a career as an independent researcher focused on parental influences on child brain development specific to emotion dysregulation.