How drinking in the teen years affects the brain
National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence: OHSU
['FUNDING_U01'] · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11112465
This project follows teens and young adults over several years to learn how early heavy drinking can change brain development, sleep, thinking, and behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_U01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PORTLAND, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11112465 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would join a group of young people who were first enrolled between ages 12 and 21 and have been followed annually; visits include brain imaging (MRI, DTI, resting and task fMRI), cognitive tests, clinical interviews, and questionnaires. Data are collected in person or remotely by computer and a mobile app, and the project now adds advanced neuroimaging plus sleep and physical activity tracking with wearable devices. The study links individual drinking histories to brain growth trajectories and related thinking and behavioral changes over time. The cohort has strong retention and is designed to identify transient versus lasting alcohol-related effects from adolescence into early adulthood.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents and young adults around the original enrollment ages (roughly 12–21 at baseline) or similar-aged individuals interested in long-term follow-up, including those with early or escalating alcohol use.
Not a fit: People outside the adolescent/young-adult age range, those unwilling to complete MRI scans or ongoing follow-up, or those seeking immediate clinical treatment rather than research participation are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could clarify how teen drinking harms brain development and help guide prevention, monitoring, or early interventions for young people at risk for alcohol problems.
How similar studies have performed: Previous NCANDA work and other longitudinal brain-imaging studies have shown links between adolescent drinking and brain changes, but this project adds new imaging methods and wearable sleep/activity data for more detail.
Where this research is happening
PORTLAND, UNITED STATES
- OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY — PORTLAND, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NAGEL, BONNIE J. — OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: NAGEL, BONNIE J.
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.