How brain function and teen drinking influence each other over time
Official title: Reciprocal longitudinal associations between brain function and alcohol use trajectories in adolescents and young adults
Funded at Medical College of Wisconsin · NIH-11415796 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study following teens and young adults to see how brain function and alcohol use affect each other over several years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,964 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AA030808-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415796 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Youth and young adults aged roughly 9 to 20 years who are at risk for or beginning to use alcohol
✕Less likely to help
If a participant has no interest in brain-imaging research or alcohol use, they may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project tracks adolescents and young adults to understand how brain activity related to decision making changes as alcohol use starts and evolves. It uses advanced, longitudinal brain imaging and machine learning to look at how drinking may shift cognitive control and reward processing over time. The goal is to identify mechanisms that drive initiation, escalation, and maintenance of alcohol use and how brain changes might predict future use. The study emphasizes training the researcher in cutting-edge analyses and precision imaging to build a foundation for independent work. Participation would contribute to knowledge that could inform prevention and intervention strategies for youth and young adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how teen brain development relates to drinking, potentially guiding prevention and early intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest that brain function and drinking behavior are linked, but longitudinal, precision-mapped approaches are still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baranger, David a — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Baranger, David a
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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.