N/A N=202 Randomized Basic Science

Affective Social Buffering

Social Stress · Adolescent Behavior

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04312945 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

202

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

Jan 2026

Primary outcome: Primary: Cortisol AUCi — -93.6397; -68.0959; -106.9105 (ug/dL)*minutes

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: N/A
Interventions: Questionnaires (Other); MRI (Other)
Age: Pediatric · 11+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: University of Minnesota
Primary completion: Feb 2025

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Cortisol AUCi	-93.6397; -68.0959; -106.9105	—
PRIMARY Change Heart Rate Response	.543; .707; 1.343	—
PRIMARY Left Amygdala: Task-related Brain Activity During Hariri Task	0.231; 0.245; 0.232	—
PRIMARY Left Amygdala: Task-related Brain Activity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	0.28073; .29334; .29397	—
PRIMARY Right Amygdala: Task-related Brain Activity During Hariri Task	0.275; 0.273; 0.297	—
PRIMARY Right Amygdala: Task-related Brain Activity During IAPS GoNoGoTask	0.30121; 0.29021; 0.33038	—
PRIMARY Left Insula: Task-related Brain Activity During Hariri Task	-0.008; 0.0007; -0.018	—
PRIMARY Left Insula: Task-related Brain Activity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	.01627; .02078; .00809	—
PRIMARY Right Insula: Task-related Brain Activity During Hariri Task	-0.012; 0.0004; -0.017	—
PRIMARY Right Insula: Task-related Brain Activity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	.01504; .01356; -0.00077	—
PRIMARY Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC): Task-related Brain Activity During Hariri Task	0.048; 0.093; 0.108	—
PRIMARY Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC): Task-related Brain Activity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	.02224; .02385; .00827	—
PRIMARY Amygdala-vmPFC: Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Functional Connectivity During Hariri Task	-0.033; -0.033; 0.116	—
PRIMARY Amygdala-vmPFC: Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Functional Connectivity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	-0.11810; .01399; -0.01128	—
PRIMARY Amygdala-dmPFC: Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Functional Connectivity During Hariri Task	0.055; 0.127; 0.072	—
PRIMARY Amygdala-dmPFC: Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Functional Connectivity During IAPS GoNoGo Task	.01220; .008081; .04997	—
PRIMARY Change in EDA During Hariri Task	.001569; .000659; -0.01369	—
PRIMARY Change in EDA During IAPS GoNoGo Task	.002348; .003808; .000465	—
PRIMARY EDA at Rest	.0269; .0273; .0287	—
SECONDARY Change in Self Report of Stress	0.0000; .4500; .3305	—
SECONDARY Change in Accuracy During Hariri Task	-25.27; -25.37; -25.31	—
SECONDARY Change in Accuracy During IAPS GoNoGo Task	-2.01; -0.86; -2.50	—

Summary

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the mechanisms through which parental buffering of stress physiology during affective stimulus presentation diminishes with pubertal development and whether this diminution of effectiveness extends to social buffering by peers (best friends), in comparison to a lack of social partners.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

sufficient vision to complete assent and study procedures
sufficient hearing to complete assent and study procedures
sufficient language skills to provide verbal and written assent

Exclusion Criteria

Premature birth (less than 37 weeks)
congenital and/or chromosomal disorders (e.g. cerebral palsy, FAS, mental retardation, Turner Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Fragile X)
Autism Spectrum Disorders
history of serious medical illness (e.g., cancer, organ transplant)
youth taking systemic glucocorticoids
youth taking beta-adrenergic medications
diagnoses of psychiatric illness, seizure disorder or other neurological disorders
contraindications for MRI (implanted medical device; presence of non-removal metal in or on the body, including piercings, orthodontic braces or certain permanent retainers)
known pregnancy
tattoos
history of significant claustrophobia

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04312945). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.