# Developmental Trajectories of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms: The Roles of Dispositional Emotion Regulation Strategy Use and Neural Connectivity in Pathways to Psychosis

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 2024 · $45,563

## Abstract

Project Summary
 My career goal is to be an independent, productive clinical affective neuroscientist studying
developmental mechanisms of psychosis-spectrum pathology. To achieve this goal, I have developed a
training plan that is consistent with the mission of the NIH’s Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Predoctoral
Fellowship. My training plan has four specific goals. These training goals are to 1) learn how to preprocess and
analyze functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI), 2) build an advanced repertoire of statistical knowledge
and computing abilities, 3) master effective communication in scientific writing, and 4) develop professional
relationships and network with cross-disciplinary researchers. Accomplishing these training goals will be
important preparatory steps towards my attainment of a successful career in clinical research. To complement
these training goals, I have crafted a research proposal focused on affective and clinical trajectories, and the
influence of neural connectivity, in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis.
 The onset of psychosis is a complex developmental process. Despite interdisciplinary attention, the
developmental trajectories of positive symptoms (i.e., delusions and hallucinations) and attenuated psychotic
symptoms (APS), or less severe or distressing forms of delusions and hallucinations, are not fully understood.
One reason for limitations in our scientific knowledge could be heterogeneity across developmental trajectories
and timelines in individuals at-risk for psychosis. Thus, studying changes in APS severity across time in
subclinical samples, such as individuals at CHR for psychosis, could help us to understand heterogeneity in
clinical outcomes. Heterogeneity in clinical outcomes in individuals at CHR may be explained in-part by risk
and resilience factors, such as predispositions to use certain emotion regulation (ER) strategies and related
neural connectivity patterns. Defining the roles of dispositional ER and neural connectivity in changes in APS
severity can elucidate how these factors may contribute to the progression of APS. Hence, the proposed multi-
method, longitudinal study will clarify how the use of select ER strategies (rumination, expressive suppression,
cognitive reappraisal) and connectivity in regions of interest contribute to heterogeneity in APS severity through
two specific aims. Aim 1 will investigate the relations between dispositional ER strategy use and APS severity
across time. Aim 2 will investigate the influence of baseline neural connectivity in regions of interest on
between-persons differences in trajectories of dispositional ER strategy use and APS severity across time. The
study will leverage five self-report assessments across two years and resting-state fMRI at baseline to address
these aims. Overall, the proposed study will advance knowledge on mechanisms of psychotic symptom
development in CHR, thereby facilitating the identification of behavio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10996787
- **Project number:** 1F31MH138063-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Madeline Snyder
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $45,563
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-30 → 2026-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10996787

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10996787, Developmental Trajectories of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms: The Roles of Dispositional Emotion Regulation Strategy Use and Neural Connectivity in Pathways to Psychosis (1F31MH138063-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/10996787. Licensed CC0.

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