Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Miami

Code:

NCT05991713

Conditions

Emotions

Anhedonia

Depression

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Modifying Exploration

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to use smartphone technology to capture individual location emotional and cognitive data, to examine how real-world behaviors thoughts, emotions, and brain activity are related to one another.

Conditions

Emotions

Anhedonia

Depression

Study ID

NCT05991713

Start date

Nov 2, 2023

Status verified date

Aug, 2025

Completion date

Sep 1, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 1, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Must agree to give informed consent
  • Must be willing to have an functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) scan
  • Must be able to receive and respond to daily text messages assessing current emotion
  • Must be willing to download and run a GPS tracking application (FollowMee) onto their smartphone for a four-month period

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of head trauma, seizures, or neurological disorders
  • severe/unstable medical conditions
  • conditions that interfere with MRI
  • pregnancy
  • lifetime psychotic/bipolar disorder
  • chronic/severe substance or alcohol abuse/dependence
  • antipsychotic medication

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Modifying Exploration

Individuals will be asked on certain days to increase their levels of exploration, and some days be asked to decrease their levels of exploration. Participants will do this for up to six months.

Interventions

Modifying Exploration

Participants in this group will use a mobile phone sensor data application that uses an accelerometer, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) and/or GPS designed for smartphone devices. This technology allows the phones to capture information automatically and passively on the participant's activity. The application will be collecting participants' data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Participants will be asked to make alterations to their exploration levels approximately 20 days of their participation in the study.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in positive emotional response as measured by ecological momentary assessment [ Time Frame: Baseline, up to 6 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Isabella C D'Ottone, BA

3052849555icd30@miami.edu

Locations

University of Miami

Recruiting

Coral Gables, Florida, United States, 33146

Contacts

Isabella C D'Ottone, BA

3052849555icd30@miami.edu

Principal Investigator:

Aaron S Heller, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Miami

Last update posted

May 5, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Miami on 2026-05-05.