# The Effect of Acoustic Enhancement of Slow-Wave Activity on Cognitive Control and Emotional Reactivity in Young Adults with Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $174,698

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Anxiety and mood disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions. They are also highly comorbid, and
co-occurrence is associated with worse patient outcomes. Neurobehavioral dysfunction in cognitive control and
emotional reactivity are considered fundamental mechanisms of disorder onset and progression. To inform
effective preventative treatments, it is critical to identify modifiable factors that directly impact these
transdiagnostic processes. Sleep is one such factor. The deepest stage of sleep, slow-wave sleep, is consistently
reduced in most psychiatric conditions and can be modified using a variety of techniques. Slow-wave sleep
predominates over the prefrontal cortex, providing particular benefit to cognitive processes, including cognitive
control. Cognitive control is instrumental in downregulating negative affect to aversive stimuli. The aim of the
current study is to elucidate the role of slow-wave sleep in cognitive control and emotional reactivity to aversive
stimuli. We will study 40 young adults with elevated anxiety and depression symptoms and sleep disturbance.
Participants will complete two overnights in our sleep lab with polysomnography to assess sleep architecture.
Participants will also wear an acoustic stimulation device to enhance slow-wave sleep. During one of the
overnights, the device will play sub-arousal tones to boost slow-wave sleep; during the other overnight, tone
volume will be zero. The day after each overnight, participants will complete assessments of cognitive control
and emotional reactivity in an fMRI scanner. We will examine effects of acoustic enhancement of slow-wave
sleep on neurobehavioral measures of cognitive control and emotional reactivity and whether improvements in
emotional reactivity occur through cognitive control improvements. This study will elucidate sleep-based
mechanisms of anxiety and mood disorder onset in an at-risk sample and inform innovative, targeted, accessible
sleep preventative treatments. The candidate possesses skills in sleep manipulation, polysomnography, and
assessment of cognitive processes to conduct the proposed research. With additional critical training in 1)
advanced targeted sleep manipulation and sleep EEG spectral analysis, 2) cognitive-affective neuroscience and
fMRI, and 3) clinical knowledge and treatment of anxiety and mood disorders, the Principal Investigator will
obtain the skills necessary to develop an independent research program focused on sleep and mental health.
Training and research activities for the current proposal will be completed at the University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine. The Department of Psychiatry and the Center for Sleep and Circadian Science are leaders in sleep
and mental health research and devoted to the professional development of early career scientists. The
candidate has assembled a mentorship team of experienced independent researchers and clinicians with
expertise in the proposed research aims a...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10501720
- **Project number:** 1K01MH130502-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Michelle Elizabeth Stepan
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $174,698
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10501720

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10501720, The Effect of Acoustic Enhancement of Slow-Wave Activity on Cognitive Control and Emotional Reactivity in Young Adults with Anxiety and Depression Symptoms (1K01MH130502-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10501720. Licensed CC0.

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