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Influence of Physical Activity on Daily Positive Affect & Affective Neural Activity in Preschoolers

Award Number: K23MH118426
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/17/2018
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2023

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Influence of Physical Activity on Daily Positive Affect & Affective Neural Activity in Preschoolers - Project Summary: Understanding how relations between physical activity and positive affect may alter affective neurocircuitry early in development holds enormous promise for unlocking the development, etiology, and treatment of mental illnesses, particularly mood disorders. Both childhood mood disorders and lack of physical activity are two major public health problems, the latter with increasing prevalence and associated with substantial morbidity across the lifespan1,2. Despite research implicating a strong role of physical activity in the amelioration of mood symptoms, research accounting for these developmental relationships relevant to the onset of mood disorders is greatly lacking. Novel, early interventions focusing on the benefits of physical activity for the prevention of childhood mood disorders may hold great promise. With this framework in mind, the purpose of this K23 proposal is to enable the candidate to develop a research program investigating the impact of physical activity on affective neural activity and risk for childhood mood disorders. To help achieve the goal, the training plan in this application addresses the applicant's need for training in: 1) physical activity and event related potentials (ERP) assessment methods [and protocols] in young children; 2) research assessments of emotion development and preschool psychopathology; and 3) longitudinal study design and advanced data analysis techniques. A rich training environment and a multidisciplinary team of mentors in each of these areas is detailed. The research proposal tests the hypothesis that positive affectivity (measured in terms of brain, behavior, and ecological momentary assessment) mediates the association between physical activity and later dimensional mood symptoms early in development. Thus, we hypothesize that low daily (and weekly) physical activity leads to lower daily (and weekly) positive affect and significantly contributes to the development of mood symptoms, even after accounting for key covariates such as family history of mood disorder and psychosocial risk and protective factors. To test these hypotheses, preschoolers (ages 3-5) high and low on positive affect will be recruited using a screening checklist and assessed twice, 18 months apart using ERP methods, one week of objectively collected physical activity data, one week of ecological momentary assessment data, and behavioral methods in a prospective design. Data from this study will be used to inform development for a more definitive R01 project that charts the trajectories of physical activity, neural markers, and mood symptoms in at-risk young children and results are anticipated to have prevention and treatment implications, by determining whether and how positive affectivity (measured behaviorally and neutrally) links physical activity to elevated mood symptoms early in development. Further, the proposed training plan will enable Dr. Whalen to become an independent scientist investigating the role of physical activity in the development and maintenance of mood disorders in children.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = -$5,398 )
2024	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	5	4/26/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$4,067
2024	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	4/26/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$1,331
														Subtotal = -$5,398

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $218,938 )
2022	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	1/12/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$54,000
2022	2022	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	5	8/3/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$164,938
														Subtotal = $218,938

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $164,938 )
2021	2021	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	8/26/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$164,938
														Subtotal = $164,938

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $164,938 )
2020	2020	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	8/6/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$164,938
														Subtotal = $164,938

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $164,938 )
2019	2019	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	8/16/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$164,938
														Subtotal = $164,938

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $164,938 )
2018	2018	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	ONE BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	9/17/2018	NEW	$164,938
														Subtotal = $164,938

Grand Total All Awards = $873,292

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Influence of Physical Activity on Daily Positive Affect & Affective Neural Activity in Preschoolers

Award Number: K23MH118426

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/17/2018

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2023

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