How the teenage brain's reward and habit systems mature into adulthood
Adolescent striatal neurophysiological maturation underlying the transition to adult stabilization of behavior
Researchers are comparing brain activity in kids, teens, and young adults to see how reward and habit systems change as teenagers become adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11262899 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would take part in tasks that measure habit and reward-related behavior while your brain activity is recorded with fMRI and scalp EEG, and a smaller group of pediatric epilepsy patients will contribute intracerebral EEG recordings obtained during clinical monitoring. The project plans to enroll about 192 typically developing participants aged roughly 10–26 and about 45 pediatric epilepsy patients. Investigators will focus on frontolimbic brain circuits and how patterns of neural activity become more stable from adolescence into adulthood. The work aims to link these brain changes to the formation of adult behavioral patterns and to risks for mood, substance use, and related disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are healthy volunteers aged about 10–26 and young people with epilepsy who are already undergoing intracranial EEG monitoring at the Pittsburgh site.
Not a fit: People older than the study age range, those seeking direct medical treatment, or anyone unable to undergo MRI/EEG procedures are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve understanding of why adolescence is a vulnerable period and eventually inform prevention or early-intervention strategies for mood and substance-use disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier fMRI and PET studies have shown heightened reward-system activity in adolescence and this project builds on that evidence while adding habit tasks and intracranial EEG, which is a relatively novel human approach.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luna, Beatriz — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Luna, Beatriz
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.