Neuromelanin MRI: A Tool for Non-invasive Investigation of Dopaminergic Abnormalities in Adolescent Substance Use
Stony Brook University
Summary
150 males and 150 females ages 14-17 years-old will be enrolled in an observational, longitudinal study. There are three planned in-person visits: a baseline assessment, an 18-month follow-up, and a 36-month follow-up. The in-person visits will include assessment of substance use and other individual differences (e.g., reward function, psychiatric history), neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, as well as functional brain activation collected while the participant is at rest (resting-state fMRI) and while the participant completes a Monetary Incentive Delay task. Subjects will also be asked to complete past 90-day substance use assessments remotely every 90 days for 36 months.
Description
Substance use disorders affect several million people in the United States every year, create significant economic burden, and cause tremendous suffering at the person, family, and societal levels. This proposal aims to investigate the dynamic interplay between pediatric substance use (a risk factor for substance use disorders) and rate of neuromelanin accumulation (a proxy for dopamine function) for the first time. Thus, this research seeks to identify a brain mechanism (dopamine function) that could be targeted in youth by future treatments in order to prevent onset of substance use disorder…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 14–17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Males and females ages 14-17 years-old; * English-speaking for assent and interview completion; * Capacity to provide assent. * For parents, the inclusion criteria will be willing and capacity to provide parental permission/consent. Exclusion Criteria: * current (within 6 months) use of medication that may affect cerebral function * history of severe medical or neurological illness, including stroke or seizure; * history of head trauma with loss of consciousness; * presence of metal in the body; * pregnancy or breastfeeding; * recent drug or alcohol use determined by p…
Interventions
- OtherMonetary Incentive Delay Task
The Monetary Incentive Delay functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging task is well-characterized and commonly utilized in research settings to measure neural activation between win and loss conditions, as well as between phases of anticipation and consummation/outcome. A recent meta-analysis indicates that the task has been used in over 80 studies and 5,000 subjects as of Year 2022. The task is also valid and appropriate for use in children and adolescents, as demonstrated by its inclusion in National Institute on Drug Abuse ABCD study. The task is utilized for its short-lived, reversible, and/or benign effects on brain activation (e.g., brief processing of a reward cue).
Location
- Stony Brook MedicineStony Brook, New York