Participating in the NIH-funded RISE-Up EA+ study is an excellent opportunity to contribute to research and be compensated for your time! If you choose to participate in the RISE-Up EA+ Study, you will be asked to complete questionnaires, an MRI scan, perform cognitive tasks, and provide biological samples (saliva, buccal cells, stool, and potentially blood). You can find detailed descriptions of these tasks and additional information below.
If you are interested in participating, please schedule a 15-20-minute phone call viaCalendly.
Upon enrollment in the study, you will be directed to the online RedCap platform to complete a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to complete the series of questionnaires prior to your in-person study visit.
The questionnaires will ask you about yourself, such as early adversity, discrimination experiences, emotion regulation strategies, health (mental/physical), stress, medications, and illnesses.
Questionnaires do not have to be completed in one sitting, and you will have the option to skip any question you may find uncomfortable.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
The in-person study visit and MRI scan will be conducted in the Staglin Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN), located within the Semel Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) utilizes magnetism to take photos of our bodies and brains, and while this is a safe technique, we must make sure that you do not have any non-removable metal in your body before we proceed.
The RISE-Up EA+ Study team will administer an MRI screening form to determine MRI safety and eligibility. If you would like to review the sample MRI screening form, the PDF will be attached below as well as on the Resources page.
During the scan, we will take images of your brain while you engage in various scanner tasks, this could include playing a variety of games and watching a movie clip.
Because we are not permitted to scan pregnant women, if you inform us or indicate on the MRI screening form that you may be, or are pregnant, we will not be able to proceed with the scan.
The scan itself will last about an hour and 15 minutes, and our study team will check-in with you via intercom every 5-7 minutes to see how you are doing.
Study visit and parking directions are attached on the Resources page. Upon arrival at the UCLA campus, a team member will greet you in the lobby of the Manoukian Medical Building and guide you to Semel.
Cognitive Tasks
Both inside and outside of the MRI scanner, we will administer various cognitive tasks and games.
Inside the scanner, some tasks are designed to be fun (e.g., navigating a map to find prizes), while others are designed to be relaxing (e.g., resting with your eyes closed).
Outside of the scanner, you’ll be asked to complete additional cognitive tasks designed to assess various skills such as memory and attention.
To ensure scoring accuracy, a few of the cognitive tasks administered by the researcher will be audio recorded. Such digital files will be de-identified and stored on a secure password-protected device.
Biological Samples
Prior to your in-person visit, you will be mailed a stool sample collection kit to your home. The kit will include necessary materials for the collection (collection tube, toilet hats, gloves, and storage box/bag). Included will also be collection instructions and a paper questionnaire to fill out post-collection that assesses sample quality. We will then have you bring the completed sample/questionnaire to your scheduled visit!
During the in-person visit, in a private room, we will ask you to provide a saliva and buccal (cheek) cell sample. For saliva sample collection you will need to spit into a collection tube. For the buccal cell collection you will need to swab your inner cheek.
Lastly, we may request a small blood sample. This will be collected using a single-use, self-contained device that requires only a few drops of blood. However, if enough blood was collected during your previous visit with RISE-Up EA, or if you choose not to provide a sample, no additional blood will be taken.
