ALPHA Study – Help Researchers Understand the Visual System

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how the visual system works in people with and without anxious personalities. Some research suggests that brain activity is different in people who do and do not have anxious personalities, but researchers do not fully understand this relationship. Researchers hope their findings will lead to better ways to diagnose and treat people with mental health disorders in the future. 

• Ages 18-30
• Right-handed
• Fluent in English
• Not colorblind
• Able and willing to undergo fMRI scanning (no non-removable metal in your body, not claustrophobic)
• No history of psychosis, mania, or substance abuse
• No history of neurological disorders, such as seizures or head injury
• No history of any other major disorder, such as stroke, heart disease (heart attacks, angina), high blood pressure, dementia, endocrine disorders (thyroid, diabetes), autism, or Asperger’s
• No current illicit drug use or alcohol abuse, except for cannabis
• No use of psychiatric medications within the past three months
• Body mass index (BMI) is less than or equal to 30 (BMI calculator: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm)
• Not pregnant

After an initial phone call to find out if you are eligible for the study, participants will be scheduled for a 3-hour visit that includes a psychiatric interview. If eligible, you will return for a 1-hour fMRI scan. Six months after the first visit, participants will be asked to complete a short online survey about mood and emotions.

Some participants may be asked to return for two additional visits to complete an online task. These participants will also complete an online survey 12 months after the second visit.