Understanding how anxiety affects substance use in adolescents
Adverse Adolescent Pathways to Substance Use
This study is trying to see how anxiety affects substance use in kids aged 12-14 by looking at their brain activity and stress responses.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 180 (estimated) |
| Ages | 12 Years to 14 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) |
| Trial ID | NCT06977178 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This study investigates the relationship between anxiety symptoms and adverse pathways to substance use in adolescents aged 12-14. It aims to explore how changes in neural connectivity and physiological stress responses during adolescence contribute to this relationship. Participants will undergo neuroimaging, complete questionnaires, and have their physiological responses monitored during a stress-inducing task. The study will recruit 200 youth, focusing on those at high risk for substance use based on specific behavioral and emotional characteristics.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 12-14 who exhibit symptoms of anxiety and have not engaged in substance use.
Not a fit: Patients with severe emotional disturbances, psychosis, or those who have used substances more than three times may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to better prevention strategies for substance use in adolescents with anxiety.
How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promising results in understanding the links between anxiety and substance use, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female * 12-14 years old, * Report symptoms of anxiety * Understand and sign an assent, and parents will sign a permission and a consent document in English * Meets study hearing and vision requirements * Substance use naïve Exclusion Criteria: * Has any foreign metal objects or implants as determined by the safety questionnaires (e.g., bone screws, shunts or body piercing that can't be removed, etc.) * Has been diagnosed with psychosis or a severe emotional disturbance. * Has used alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana more than 3 times. * Is pregnant. Girls who self-report pregnancy may not participate in the stress evaluation or the MRI scan. * Is taking any medications that directly alter cardiovascular function (e.g., propranolol or other beta blockers). * Any current or lifetime treatment with antipsychotic medication. * Has had a head injury that resulted in a loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes. * Is planning to get non-removable metal braces. * Impaired intellectual functioning (full-scale intelligence quotient \<70). * Past or current history of a clinically significant central nervous system that could confound brain imaging evaluations.
Where this trial is running
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine — Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Aysenil Belger, PhD — University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Aysenil Belger, PhD
- Email: aysenil.belger@unc.edu
- Phone: (919)-260-9822
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.