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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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This Is Your Brain on Irritability: A Clinician's Guide to Understanding How We Know What We Know Now, and What We

Daniel P Dickstein1, Christine M Barthelemy1, Gracie A Jenkins1

  • 1PediMIND Program, Mclean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, USA; Simches Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America
|May 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Understanding the brain and behavior mechanisms of childhood irritability is crucial for effective psychiatric care. This article bridges the gap between research and clinical practice for conditions like ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Irritability is a primary concern in pediatric psychiatric referrals.
  • A disconnect exists between neuroscience research and clinical practice regarding irritability.
  • Understanding brain and behavior mechanisms is key to improving treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate research methods used to study irritability in youth.
  • To summarize current knowledge on brain/behavior mechanisms of irritability.
  • To facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

Main Methods:

  • Review of research methodologies in pediatric psychiatric disorders.
  • Synthesis of existing literature on neurobiological and behavioral correlates of irritability.
  • Focus on conditions including bipolar disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, ADHD, and ASD.

Main Results:

  • Provides an overview of research techniques applicable to studying irritability.
  • Summarizes key findings on brain and behavioral mechanisms across several disorders.
  • Highlights the potential for improved clinical care through research integration.

Conclusions:

  • Enhanced understanding of irritability mechanisms can inform treatment strategies.
  • Bridging the research-practice gap is essential for advancing pediatric mental healthcare.
  • Translating neurobiological insights into clinical applications promises better outcomes for children and adolescents.

Keywords:
AdolescentBehaviorChildIrritabilityNeuroimaging

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