Early life stress and teen brain changes linked to drug risk
A Neuroecological Approach to Examining the Effects of Early Life Adversity on Adolescent Drug Use Vulnerabilities Using the ABCD Dataset
Looks at how early life stress and brain development relate to drug use risk in teens.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141876 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or your teen experienced early life stress, this project examines brain scans and behavior from thousands of U.S. adolescents to understand links to later drug use. It focuses on brain systems that control emotions and respond to rewards, and how those systems may become out of balance during adolescence. The team also studies family, school, peer, and community factors that can raise or lower risk. Researchers use the large ABCD dataset to find patterns that could point to better timing and targets for prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents about 12–20 years old with histories of early life stress or concerns about substance use match the population studied.
Not a fit: Adults, children outside the 12–20 age range, or teens with no history of early life stress are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify teens at higher risk so prevention and support can be offered earlier and more precisely.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked early life stress and brain differences to teen substance use, but combining brain-network measures with family and community context in a large national dataset is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- University of Georgia — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oshri, Assaf — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Oshri, Assaf
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.