The brain is adapted to learn from interactions with the environment that predict or enable the procurement of rewards ( Schultz, 2010 ). For infants, the main caregiver (often the mother) is most associated with primary biological rewards such as food and warmth, as well as the most likely provider of emotional and social rewards such as comfort and responsiveness. In this study we capitalize on the reward value of mother to examine reward learning mechanisms in infancy using multiple eye-tracking measures. Converging lines of research have demonstrated links between reward-related striatal dopamine activity and measurable changes in spontaneous eye-blink rate (EBR) and pupil dilation (Eckstein et al., 2017). We presented 7-month-old infants with video stimuli that parametrically increased in social-emotional value (male stranger, female stranger, mother) or in visual attention value (static image, slowed silent cartoon, dynamic cartoon). After establishing infants’ baseline responses to these stimuli, we paired the videos with arbitrary shape cues in an associative learning task. Infants showed superior learning from their own mother’s video and a heightened anticipatory arousal response to the mother-associated cue following learning. Both learning measures were predicted by infants’ baseline EBR to their mother’s video, providing the first evidence of reward learning and transfer in human infants.

Background: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a vascular compression syndrome leading to postprandial epigastric pain, nausea, and weight loss; it can be treated surgically. While most patients report improved quality of life following surgical intervention, 30% continue to experience chronic abdominal pain. Pre-surgical diagnoses of depression and/or anxiety have been found to significantly predict post-surgical: quality of life, highest experience of pain, anxiety, and parent- and self-reported coping strategies. As such, increasing the coping strategies of pediatric patients with MALS may impact their post-surgical outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to: (1) implement a pre-operative cognitive behavioral therapy protocol with a focus on psychoeducation and coping strategies; and (2) determine feasibility of a pre-surgical intervention for this population.Method: Children (<18 years of age) with a diagnosis of MALS who were eligible for surgical intervention were invited to participate in a 7-week in-person or video-based pre-surgical cognitive behavioral therapy intervention. Psychiatric comorbidities were assessed at baseline and post-surgery; patient-reported distress, pain interference and intensity, health-related quality of life, and health status were assessed at four time points (baseline, week 4, week 7, and post-surgery). Descriptive analyses were used to characterize the sample, assess feasibility outcomes (i.e., attrition rates), and explore symptom-based outcomes across time.Results: Twelve pediatric patients (M age = 15.2 ± 1.7; 91.7% female) and their parents (91.7% mothers) participated. Feasibility metrics based on protocol completion were exceeded for engagement at the stages of consent (68.4% vs. goal of ≥50%), treatment initiation (92.3% vs. 85%), and treatment completion (84.6% vs. 75%). Out of the 12 participants, nine (75%) met criteria for at least one comorbid psychiatric diagnosis at baseline and nine (75%) elected to undergo MALS surgery after completing the intervention.Conclusion: The intervention implementation was feasible, despite chronic pain symptoms experienced by the sample, a high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, and an international pandemic, suggesting that it would be beneficial to further evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. Future research should include stakeholder input in the design, deployment, and evaluation of a pilot efficacy trial of pre-surgical cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric patients with MALS.

Objective To examine rates of emerging adults’ (EA) adherence to preventative health behavior recommendations during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate demographic (i.e., gender, years of education, socioeconomic status, school enrollment status, and living situation) and exposure and impact-related correlates of adherence. Methods Participants were 273 [M (SD) age = 22 (2.1) years, 55% female, 32% from minoritized groups] EA completed an online survey of adherence to 11 preventative health behaviors recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during summer 2020. Participants rated adherence via a visual analog scale. Participants also reported demographic information and completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Adolescent and Young Adult Version (CEFIS-AYA). Results Median levels of adherence to preventative recommendations ranged from 66% to 100%. Highest adherence levels (Mdn > 90%) were reported for quarantining if exposed to COVID-19; covering mouth when sneezing; avoiding the elderly/those at high risk; and avoiding large gatherings. Median adherence was <80% for mask wearing; maintaining a 6-foot distance; avoiding in-person visits with romantic partners or friends; and disinfecting surfaces. Female gender was the only variable significantly associated with overall adherence, and it explained 4% of the variance. Conclusions Following guidelines related to social distancing practices may be particularly challenging for EA, possibly because of unique developmental needs of this group, and males may be at greater risk for non-adherence to CDC recommendations. Therefore, public health messaging and adherence intervention development should be designed with males and social distancing practices in mind.