# Common and Specific Neural Mechanisms of Perseverative Thought in Real-World Contexts

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $175,200

## Abstract

Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most prevalent forms of mental illness and are a major public health
concern. There is growing evidence that perseverative thought (PT), defined as thought that is self-focused,
repetitive, and difficult-to-control, is a key mechanism of anxiety and depression. Worry and rumination are two
prevalent and well-characterized forms of PT that have been experimentally and prospectively linked to
increased anxiety and depression severity, higher rates of substance abuse, and poorer physical health.
However, little is known about the underlying neurobiology of PT, and no studies to date have characterized
the neural mechanisms that underlie the successful or unsuccessful regulation of PT. This gap in the literature
is of central importance because an impaired ability to disengage from PT (i.e., an ability to stop worrying and
ruminating) has been proposed as a central mechanism by which worry or rumination transitions from
normative to pathological. The overarching goal of this K01 is to develop and test an ecologically-valid,
clinically-informed neurobiological model of PT, with a particular emphasis on identifying the mechanisms by
which PT shifts from healthy to pathological through successful and unsuccessful regulation. Using functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), the proposed study will 1)
test specific neurobiological hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying successful and failed
disengagement from PT; 2) evaluate the neurobiological plausibility of three competing clinically-derived
models of PT (i.e., a bifactor vs. two-factor vs. dimensional model); and 3) link neurobiological findings to real-
world experiences of pathological (dysregulated) worry and rumination. Collectively, these aims will permit the
iterative refinement of a clinically meaningful neurobiological model of normative and pathological PT, which
can form the basis for the development of neurobiologically informed interventions. Consistent with a
transdiagnostic approach informed by the Research Domains Criteria (RDoC), N = 70 adults who represent the
full spectrum of PT severity (low; moderate; pathological) will undergo fMRI while experiencing and then
attempting to disengage from PT (worry and rumination). Disengagement success will be assessed via thought
sampling. A subset of participants with pathological PT will then complete an EMA protocol to index real-world
experiences of successful and failed disengagement from PT. A variety of data analytic approaches, including
functional and effective connectivity, mixed models, and structural equation modeling will be applied to test
specific hypotheses and in follow-up exploratory analyses. The training plan capitalizes on the candidate's
background, mentorship team, research environment to provide the candidate with the requisite neuroimaging,
EMA, and data analytic skills to conduct the proposed research and launch a successful indepen...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10454828
- **Project number:** 5K01MH116328-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** LAUREN S HALLION
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $175,200
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10454828

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10454828, Common and Specific Neural Mechanisms of Perseverative Thought in Real-World Contexts (5K01MH116328-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10454828. Licensed CC0.

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