How teen drinking affects thinking and behavior in ADHD
Official title: ADHD and the influence of adolescent alcohol drinking on cognition and behavior
Funded at Lsu Health Sciences Center · NIH-11123397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using a genetic mouse model to learn how alcohol exposure during the teen years might worsen attention, self-control, and later drinking problems in people with ADHD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lsu Health Sciences Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $337,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030619-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with ADHD who drank heavily as teenagers or are concerned about adolescent drinking increasing later alcohol problems would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without ADHD or those who never drank during adolescence are unlikely to see direct benefits from this mouse-focused project.
What this research studies
This project uses mice that carry a gene change linked to ADHD (the Lphn3 knockout) to model ADHD-related brain differences. Investigators will give alcohol to adolescent mice, measure their drinking behavior, and test memory and impulse control as the animals mature. They will examine the frontal cortex — a brain region important for planning and self-control — to see whether teen drinking accelerates harmful changes. Findings will link brain changes to lasting behavior differences that could explain higher risk of alcohol problems in people with ADHD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could clarify why teens with ADHD are more vulnerable to heavy drinking and suggest ways to prevent or treat long-term problems.
How similar studies have gone: Epidemiological and animal studies have linked ADHD with higher alcohol use and shown that adolescent drinking harms frontal cortex development, but using the Lphn3 knockout specifically to study these effects is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Lsu Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Salling, Michael Charles — Lsu Health Sciences Center
- Study coordinator: Salling, Michael Charles
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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ADHD and adolescent drinking: how teen alcohol use affects thinking and behavior
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How adolescent alcohol drinking affects cognition and behavior in individuals with ADHD
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This study is looking at how sleep problems, like trouble falling asleep and having irregular sleep schedules, affect young people with ADHD, and it hopes to find ways to tailor treatments based on their unique sleep habits and ADHD symptoms.
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.