The Triad of Emotion Dysregulation, Sleep Disturbances, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: From Symptom Interactions to Clinical Subtypes

• Applicant: Dr. Fateme Samea
• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience ; Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 570745876

Children and adolescents often exhibit overlapping symptoms of emotion dysregulation (ED), sleep disturbances (SD), and various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), which challenge the boundaries of conventional diagnostic categories. Traditional classification systems tend to treat these symptoms as distinct or merely comorbid, often failing to capture the dynamic, individualized interactions between them. This project adopts a dimensional, transdiagnostic framework, grounded in the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), to systematically investigate how ED, SD, and ND symptoms interact and contribute to variability in symptom expression across individuals. We conceptualize these three psychopathological dimensions as a dynamic interconnected triangular network, in which disruptions in one domain can cascade into the others, giving rise to diverse and heterogeneous symptom profiles. Using data from large-scale cohorts of children and adolescents, we will map both population-level patterns and individual-specific deviations in the structure of ED, SD, and ND interactions. By modelling these interactions as personalized symptom networks, we aim to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of child and adolescent psychopathology, moving beyond categorical diagnoses and symptom counts. In a second phase, the project will identify latent subtypes of symptom profiles in children and adolescents, based on shared ED–SD–ND interaction patterns and assess their clinical and neurobiological relevance. These subtypes will be validated using independent clinical samples to evaluate their robustness and translational value. By progressing from broad structural patterns to individualized interaction profiles and clinically meaningful subtypes, the project aims to determine whether personalized symptom interaction maps can more accurately reflect the heterogeneity of neurodevelopmental presentations. Ultimately, this work seeks to inform more precise strategies for early identification, stratification, and intervention in child and adolescent mental health.

• DFG Programme: WBP Position