Tracking brain and health development from childhood into young adulthood
3/21 ABCD-USA CONSORTIUM: RESEARCH PROJECT SITE AT U MINNESOTA
Following children who started at about 9–10 years old to see how their brains, behavior, and health change as they grow up.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301845 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child would join a long-term group that began with kids around 9–10 years old and follows their brain, behavior, and health into young adulthood. At baseline and roughly every two years, participants complete detailed visits that include MRI brain scans, thinking and behavior tests, and collection of biological samples plus questionnaires about school, activities, and substance use. There are also annual in-person check-ins and shorter phone or mobile-app surveys between major visits to track life events with less burden. The team focuses on keeping families involved so researchers can connect early experiences to later mental health, learning, and substance-use outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideally children around age 9–10 (and their families) who can make periodic visits to the Minneapolis site and agree to brain scans, tests, and questionnaires over many years.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment or expecting direct medical care are unlikely to receive direct health benefits, since this is an observational long-term research project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help families and clinicians understand what supports healthy brain development and improve prevention or early-intervention strategies for mental health and substance use.
How similar studies have performed: Previous longitudinal brain-development studies have produced useful insights, but ABCD's very large size and repeated imaging make it broader and partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luciana, Monica — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Luciana, Monica
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.