How teen and young adult drinking affects brain development
Official title: National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence - SRI International Research Project Site (NCANDA-SRI)
Funded at Sri International · NIH-11170025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This long-term project follows teens and young adults to learn how starting to drink heavily during adolescence changes brain growth, thinking, sleep, and activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sri International NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Menlo Park, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2012 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $658,568 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AA021696-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11170025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are teens and young adults (roughly ages 12–25) with varying histories of alcohol use who can complete MRI scans, questionnaires, and periodic follow-up visits or remote testing.
✕Less likely to help
Older adults outside the adolescent/young adult age range or people unwilling to undergo MRI, share information about alcohol use, or participate in follow-up are unlikely to benefit directly from joining.
What this research studies
You would be part of a group first enrolled as 12–21 year olds and followed for years to see how alcohol use relates to brain and behavioral changes. Each year participants complete brain scans (MRI, DTI, resting and task fMRI), cognitive testing, clinical and behavioral questionnaires, and biological sampling, with some visits done in person and others via app or remote tools. New sleep and physical activity tracking and advanced imaging methods are being added to better link drinking patterns with brain development and function. The study includes hundreds of people across multiple sites and has kept most participants in the project over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors and families know when and how adolescent drinking harms the brain and guide better prevention and treatment for young people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous longitudinal projects, including earlier NCANDA work, have linked adolescent drinking to altered brain development, and this extended follow-up with newer imaging aims to provide clearer, longer-term evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Sri International
Menlo Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baker, Fiona C — Sri International
- Study coordinator: Baker, Fiona C
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.