Root Collaborates with UCONN to Study Children’s Neural Threat Reactivity

July 31, 2023

The Root Center is collaborating with UCONN Health Center’s 
Dr. Margaret Briggs-Gowan and Dr. Damion Grasso to study family stressors and their relationship to child neural threat reactivity to better understand children’s clinical vulnerability to psychiatric impairment in their lifetime. In this study, there is a strong focus on negative threat reactivity related to family violence from birth up to the assessment date.


Participants are studied over the course of a year; with a baseline assessment and a 1 year follow up. Children participate in a range of evidence-based activities to measure their reactivity as well as any symptoms they may have due to exposure; some activities include a puppet interview, a computer task that involves an EEG screening, and a developmental stage assessment. Mothers participate in an interview where an inventory of stressors is collected, also known as the Family Stress Inventory (FSI). Items include aspects of home life, partner conflict, and parenting style in response to child’s misbehavior.

Recent Posts

Root Center To Host Documentary Screening at Parkade Cinemas

February 20, 2025
March is quickly approaching, and with it comes the celebration of Womens' History Month ! This year, to honor the strength and resilience of women, the Root Center will be hosting a screening of a new award winning documentary , Recovery City, featuring the powerful stories of four Massachusetts women battling substance use disorder and fighting for recovery. Join us at the Manchester Parkade Cinemas on March 20th for the 6 p.m. screening and 7:30 p.m. q&a segment with the Director and some of the women featured in the film! Register for the event here !

Winter Storm Update 2/6/2025

February 6, 2025

Fall 2024 Newsletter

January 30, 2025
Fall at the Root Center was a season packed tight with exciting developments!  In our last newsletter, we were just one month away from opening our first clinic in New Haven County, and since then, our Branford location is now accepting patients, and has been featured on WTNH CH 8! We also hosted our Fall Community Forum on, "The Loneliness Epidemic", welcomed our newest Chief Medical Officer, published our Annual Report , and held a Grand Opening for our first Residential Treatment Clinic in New Britain on Whiting Street... just to name a few. We then recently celebrated the end of the year with our annual staff holiday party. It was a great time to get together and have some fun with music, food, raffles, and good company! Keep reading to learn more...
Show More
Share by: