Research

Brain biomarkers of emotion Regulation in Adolescents using Imaging Neuroscience: the BRAIN study

This project studies brain networks involved in emotion regulation in children with disruptive behaviors (such as aggression, anger/irritability, noncompliance, defiance) or with no disruptive behaviors. We are also recruiting autistic children and non-autistic children. We are studying behavior and brain systems to better understand how children manage emotions (i.e., emotion regulation) and how disruptions in networks of the brain can lead to challenging behaviors. Participation involves 2 visits to our lab where children and families will complete questionnaires, diagnostic assessments for child mental health, tasks of cognitive performance, and a MRI while completing different tasks including viewing emotionally expressive faces, watching a movie, and/or viewing a blank screen. Compensation is $100 for all visits.

Our lab conducts research with open-access datasets to advance development of neural markers of emotion regulation difficulties in child mental health. The ABCD study includes behavioral and neuroimaging data from 21 sites across the United States, with over 11,000 children enrolled. The Ibrahim Lab uses computational neuroscience approaches such as machine learrning to better understand how large-scale networks of the brain predict a particular behavior or phenotype, such as disruptive behaviors or anxiety symptoms.

This project studies brain networks involved in emotion regulation in children with disruptive behaviors or no disruptive behaviors. Participation includes 2 visits to our lab where children and families will complete questionnaires, diagnostic assessments for child mental health, tasks of cognitive performance, and fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) while completing different tasks including viewing emotionally expressive faces, watching a movie, and/or viewing a blank screen. fNIRS is a safe and noninvasive method for mapping brain activity. We are studying behavior and brain systems using fNIRS to understand how children manage emotions. Compensation is $100 for all visits.

We are investigating how social media use affects the developing brains of children and adolescents, with a focus on ADHD. Unlike previous studies that rely on estimates of screen time, we use objective measures to track actual social media usage and examine how content might impact attention, emotion regulation, and cognitive function. Participants complete a brain scan and behavioral assessments. This research aims to develop evidence-based guidelines to help youth with ADHD use social media in healthier ways while reducing risks for attention and emotional difficulties.