Biological Systems as Mediators of Bidirectional Influences on Anxiety Risk in the Mother-Child Dyad During Infancy

项目总结/摘要 焦虑是母亲及其幼儿面临的最普遍和代价最高的问题之一。 关于焦虑风险病因学的理论模型，反映了母亲和 后代，在很大程度上没有直接的经验测试。这就在以下方面留下了严重的知识空白： 家庭风险的性质，这将是必要的充分了解焦虑问题的病因， 当今最普遍、最普遍、最昂贵的公共卫生问题。两个具体障碍， 焦虑问题的成功预防和治疗包括（1）缺乏经验验证的 阐明母亲和儿童之间的双向影响的模型，以及（2）缺乏对 神经生物学机制，可能作为中介的双向传递焦虑的风险， 母亲和孩子该项目的结果将有助于焦虑风险的科学知识基础 在婴儿期和幼儿期的儿童和母亲身上。该项目采用独特的纵向多性状， 多方法设计，以测试三个生物系统作为焦虑风险双向效应的介质， 1至3岁儿童的母子二人组。负价体系的多个方面被使用 代表儿童和母亲焦虑的风险，以及多种生物唤醒和调节 系统是作为机制来研究的。与RDoC框架一致，该项目采用了一个维度 方法，并利用有针对性的和一般的抽样方法。拟议的工作包括： 同时测试母亲对儿童焦虑风险的影响和儿童对母亲的影响 产后焦虑症状（Aim 1）。母亲和儿童的神经和神经内分泌功能将在 作为系统进行测试，通过这些系统，焦虑风险可能在二分体中传播（目标2）。儿童和 将通过观察和调查评估母亲的焦虑风险水平（恐惧，担心，焦虑行为） 和焦虑（焦虑症状）在三个时间点（儿童年龄1，2和3岁）。该模型将允许 用于分析母亲和儿童焦虑风险之间的并行和纵向关联， 考虑到这些系统中的个体稳定性。目的2测试神经（EEG，ERP）和 神经内分泌（皮质醇）反应性作为母亲和婴儿焦虑风险之间的交易联系的介质。 研究结果不仅将从经验上检验长期存在的儿童发展理论， 未来以家庭为基础的干预措施，旨在预防或改善长期焦虑 母亲和幼儿的问题，与国家精神卫生研究所的使命， 绘制精神疾病的轨迹并告知其预防。

Project Summary/Abstract Anxiety is one of the most prevalent and costly problems facing mothers and their young children. Theoretical models about the etiology of anxiety risk, reflecting bidirectional associations between mothers and offspring, have gone largely without direct empirical testing. This has left a critical gap in knowledge regarding the nature of familial risk that will be necessary for a full understanding of the etiology of anxiety problems, one of the most prevalent, pervasive, and costly public health concerns in the present day. Two specific barriers to the successful prevention and treatment of anxiety problems include (1) an absence of empirically validated models that elucidate bidirectional influences between mothers and children, and (2) a lack of knolwedge of the neurobiological mechanisms that may serve as mediators for the bidirectional transmission of anxiety risk in mothers and offspring. Results from this project will contribute to the scientific knowledge base of anxiety risk in children and mothers across infancy and toddlerhood. This projects adopts a unique longitudinal multi-trait, multi-method design to test three biological systems as mediators of bidirectional effects of anxiety risk in mother-child dyads between child ages 1 and 3 years. Multiple aspects of negative valence systems are used to represent risk for anxiety in both children and mothers, and multiple biological arousal and regulatory systems are studied as mechanisms. Consistent with an RDoC framework, the project adopts a dimensional approach and utilizes both targeted and general sampling methods. The work proposed uncludes simultaneously testing maternal-based effects on child anxiety risk and child-based effects on maternal postpartum anxiety symptoms (Aim 1). Neural and neuroendocrine function in mothers and children will be tested as systems through which anxiety risk may be transmitted within the dyad (Aim 2). Children and mothers will be assessed via observation and surveys for levels of anxiety risk (fear, worry, anxious behaviors) and anxiety (anxiety symptoms) at each of three time points (child age 1, 2, and 3 years). This model will allow for the analysis of both concurrent and longitudinal associations between mother and child anxiety risk while accounting for individual stability in these systems. Aim 2 tests biological systems of neural (EEG, ERP) and neuroendocrine (cortisol) reactivity as mediators of transactional links between maternal and infant anxiety risk. Results will not only empirically test long-standing theories of child development, but will also inform the timing and framework for future family-based interventions aimed at preventing or ameliorating long-term anxiety problems in both mothers and young children, aligning with the National Institute of Mental Health’s mission to chart trajectories of mental illness and inform their prevention.