Identification of Positive Valence System Related Targets for Novel Suicide Prevention Approaches (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

archived

The primary objective of this FOA is to solicit research projects with the aim of elucidating the role of positive affect and related processes in suicidal individuals and evaluating modifiable behavioral and neural targets. Specifically, studies should include clinical populations with high risk of suicide, suicide attempters or acutely suicidal individuals, and may also include non-suicidal patients, high risk individuals in an absence of diagnosis, or healthy control groups. Projects across developmental spectrum are encouraged. Research projects should aim to 1) specify a construct of interest either in terms of research domain criteria: positive valence system (RDoC PVS), or a symptom relevant construct, such as an anhedonia/ anhedonia subtype, cognitive process such as present/future reward decision making, generating reasons for living in the context of anticipation of positive experiences, etc. 2) demonstrate that measures of the construct are reliable and reproducible and engage brain subsystem relevant to positive affect, and/or 3) show active modification of targeted brain system and behavioral measures of the construct through behavioral training or other means such as use of non-invasive neuromodulation, pharmacological or psychosocial therapeutic probes. Behavioral tasks used may include both novel and established tasks within the RDoC positive valence domain (e.g. reward sensitivity, reward valuation, and reward learning) and/or tasks probing components and subconstructs of hedonic and related processes. Use of measures of the dynamic changes in PA is strongly encouraged to further establish co-occurrence with other risk factors and suicidality.

High