Parent coaching may rewire kids' brains to fight depression
NCT ID NCT06725160
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether teaching mothers with depression to encourage positive emotions in their young children (ages 4-6) can increase the child's brain response to rewards. 180 mother-child pairs will be randomly assigned to either a parent-coaching program or general parenting support. Brain activity is measured before and after using EEG.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Parent coaching (behavioral intervention)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a simple parenting strategy to strengthen children's brain reward systems, potentially reducing future depression risk.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early mechanistic study (180 participants) looking at brain signals, not clinical outcomes. The coaching is brief (3 sessions) and may not produce lasting changes.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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University of Pittsburgh
RECRUITINGPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••