# A Prospective Investigation of Youth Alcohol Experimentation and Reward Responsivity

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $38,395

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a period of considerable neural development marked by cognitive and behavioral changes
including increased engagement in novelty-seeking and risk-taking behaviors (e.g., substance use
experimentation). Approximately 8% of youth in the United States report having used alcohol by the end
of 6th grade. Early substance use initiation is linked to increased risk of substance use and other
psychiatric disorders as well as greater psychosocial difficulties by adulthood. According to the imbalance
model of adolescent neural development, increased risk-taking is due to different developmental patterns
between frontal and striatal regions of the brain. This imbalance results in a weaker inhibitory control
system coupled with a more mature striatal reward-processing system during adolescence. Altered
patterns of functional neural connectivity between frontal and striatal regions have been observed prior to
substance use initiation, and may serve as a predisposing vulnerability factor for development of
substance use disorder. However, this potential marker has yet to be examined prospectively, prior to
adolescence, in youth who endorse early but minimal exposure to alcohol (sipping). The goal of the
proposed study is to examine reward-related fcMRI prospectively as a predictor of future substance use in
youth aged 9-10 years old who endorse early but minimal exposure to alcohol (i.e., sipping). To examine
this question, data gathered from approximately 11,500 youth as part of the ABCD consortium will be
used. Alcohol and substance use and reward-related functional connectivity will be examined at baseline
(youth ages 9-10 years old) and 2 years later (11-12 years old). Ultimately, the knowledge gained from
this project can be used to inform public health policies to promote prevention and early intervention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001410
- **Project number:** 5F31AA027169-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** April Chelsea May
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $38,395
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2021-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001410

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001410, A Prospective Investigation of Youth Alcohol Experimentation and Reward Responsivity (5F31AA027169-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001410. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*