Research project Attention and decision making in children with developmental psychopathology

Reward processing, a critical brain function associated with learning and responding to positive outcomes, has been identified as a potential underlying factor in these conditions.

Our project aims to elucidate the nature of reward processing atypicalities in children and adolescents who are either suspected of or have confirmed neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The specific objectives of our study are to:

1. Characterize the distinct patterns of reward processing in young individuals with NDDs or MDD, utilizing eye tracking, pupillometry, and computational modeling of behavioral data.
2. Investigate the potential of reward processing alterations as predictors of treatment response to internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for MDD.
3. Investigate whether reward processing alterations can predict a diagnosis of ADHD or autism in routine child psychiatric settings.

Our project seeks to contribute significantly to the understanding of psychiatric conditions in during development  and to enhance the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

The project is conducted in close collaboration with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health services in Stockholm (BUP Stockholm).