Targeting neurobehavioral substrates of effortful control to reduce childhood anxiety The Camp Kidpower study protocol

Targeting neurobehavioral substrates of effortful control to reduce childhood anxiety The Camp Kidpower study protocol | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Targeting neurobehavioral substrates of effortful control to reduce childhood anxiety The Camp Kidpower study protocol Ka I Ip, Meryl Rueppel, Katherine Raguckas, Jamie Lawler, Kate Rosenblum, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6342546/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Early childhood anxiety affects up to 20% of preschoolers, with long-term implications including depression, substance abuse, and suicide. Despite some success with exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), many children retain clinically significant symptoms, highlighting the need for innovative interventions. This study integrates the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and experimental medicine frameworks to target effortful control (EC)—the capacity to regulate attention and impulses—to reduce anxiety in young children through a novel intervention, Camp Kidpower . Methods This randomized clinical trial involves 90 preschoolers diagnosed with anxiety disorders, assigned to either an EC training camp or an active comparator condition (child-led play; CLP). The EC intervention incorporates play-based activities targeting selective attention, inhibitory control, and working memory, delivered over five weekly sessions with at-home practice. Anxiety and EC were assessed pre- and post-intervention using clinician ratings, parent/teacher reports, lab-based tasks, and neurophysiological measures (e.g., error-related negativity [ERN] and interchannel phase synchrony [ICPS]). Exploratory analyses include dose-response effects and moderators such as baseline EC, parental psychopathology, and child temperament. Discussion Camp Kidpower aims to enhance EC to mitigate anxiety in preschoolers, addressing the limitations of traditional CBT by offering an accessible, community-based intervention. This study will provide insight into the neurobehavioral mechanisms linking EC and anxiety, inform the design of targeted treatments, and evaluate potential moderators of intervention efficacy. If successful, the intervention could be disseminated broadly to clinics, schools, and community settings. Keywords : childhood anxiety, effortful control, ERN, interchannel phase synchrony, RCT Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04960813; Registered Date 2025-02-04; Study Sponsor: Columbia University Full Text Supplementary Files KPProtocolPaperAppendix6.25.25.docx SPIRITchecklistProtocolPaper6.10.25.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6342546","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":523833092,"identity":"8b7dd612-e4bb-4faa-a5f4-3b12f09d6008","order_by":0,"name":"Ka I 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