FAST for Children with Conduct Problems
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this study is to test a novel intervention for children ages 6-11 with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Conduct problems are among the most prevalent and costly mental health conditions of childhood, and a common antecedent to adult psychiatric disorders. An established risk factor for early, persistent, and severe youth misconduct is the presence of CU traits. CU traits (e.g., lack of empathy or guilt, shallow affect) are analogous to the core affective features of adult psychopathy, interfere with child socialization, and predict poorer outcomes, even with well-established treatments for disruptive behavior disorders. Thus, novel intervention approaches are needed to target CU traits. Youth with elevated CU traits show deficits in facial emotion recognition (FER) for distress-related expressions, particularly fear or sadness. The central hypothesis is that impaired sensitivity for emotional distress cues (fear and/or sadness) is mechanistically linked to CU traits in children, and that, by targeting affect sensitivity directly, intervention can exert downstream effects on CU traits. A gap in the field regards how to remediate these neurocognitive deficits. This project will directly target affect sensitivity in high-CU youth. The investigators propose an experimental therapeutics approach to develop a novel neurocognitive intervention for CU traits, in which a clearly identified target, facial affect sensitivity (FAS), will be engaged and assessed via primary (distress FER accuracy and/or heightened eye gaze) and secondary (electroencephalograph event-related potential) neurocognitive and behavioral processes. If investigators can demonstrate engagement of the target (FAS) in the initial R61 phase, then in the R33 phase, this finding will be replicated with a new, larger sample, and feasibility and preliminary efficacy of FAST on CU traits will be examined. The long-term goal is to examine FAST impact on behavioral outcomes and to potentially apply this targeted intervention to the wider range of problems associated with CU traits.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial requires that any psychotropic medications (drugs that affect mood, perception, or behavior) must be on a stable dosing schedule for 2 weeks before joining. So, you won't have to stop taking them, but they need to be stable.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Facial Affect Sensitivity Training (FAST) for children with conduct problems?
How is the FAST treatment different from other treatments for children with conduct problems?
FAST (Facial Affect Sensitivity Training) is unique because it focuses on improving the ability to recognize and respond to facial expressions, which is often impaired in children with conduct problems. This approach targets specific brain regions involved in emotion processing and social learning, making it different from other treatments that may not address these neural dysfunctions directly.678910
Research Team
Bradley A White, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for children aged 6-11 with high callous-unemotional traits, which include a lack of empathy or guilt. They must have difficulty recognizing emotions on faces, an IQ score of at least 80, and stable psychotropic medication use if applicable. Children with bipolar disorder, autism, current therapy for CU traits or emotion recognition deficits are excluded.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
R61 Phase Treatment
Participants receive the FAST intervention to improve facial affect sensitivity in children with elevated CU traits.
R33 Phase Treatment
Replication of FAST target engagement with a new high-CU sample and evaluation of FAST intervention compared to an active control condition.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in CU traits and empathy measures after treatment.
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Facial Affect Sensitivity Training (FAST)
- Implicit Gaze Training task (Active control condition)
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Lead Sponsor