Brain changes linked to early teen drinking and risky behavior
Cortical subcortical reorganization and risk behaviors of early alcohol use initiation
This project looks at brain patterns in children and teens to find early signs that they might begin drinking and show related risky behaviors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138653 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use brain scans and behavior information collected over time from the large ABCD study to look for brain patterns that come before early alcohol use. They will focus on sleep problems, mood and behavior (internalizing and externalizing), and thinking skills measured before any substance use. Advanced computer methods will extract structural and functional features, including cortical-subcortical covariation patterns, to see which brain signatures align with those risk factors. The goal is to identify early neural signs that could point to youngsters who might benefit from prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children and adolescents represented in the ABCD cohort or similar-aged youth (roughly preteens to older teens) whose sleep, mood, or behavior raise concern about early drinking.
Not a fit: Adults outside the adolescent age range and people with long-standing, established alcohol use disorder are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help spot youth at higher risk for starting alcohol use so prevention or support can be offered earlier.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked sleep, mood, and cognitive traits to early drinking but results have been mixed, and using the large ABCD dataset with newer analytic methods is a relatively novel approach.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Potenza, Marc N — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Potenza, Marc N
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.