# Characterization of Reward Processing in Adolescent Marijuana Use

> **NIH NIH K01** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2021 · $167,745

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental stage where significant changes occur in a youth’s central nervous
system. Pharmacological stressors, such as drugs of abuse, can have a profound impact on these changes
during adolescence. Marijuana (MJ), second to alcohol, is the most widely used intoxicant in adolescents. A
staggering 36% high-school seniors reported using MJ in the past year and 21% in the past month. Of course,
many adolescents who experiment with MJ only do so during adolescence and experience little to no long-term
effects. Nonetheless, a significant minority does experience problems and their initial MJ experimentation can
escalate to extremely adverse outcomes including addiction and other psychiatric conditions. However, the
precise neurobiological underpinnings of such transition is not well-understood, but are posited to be associated
with reward dysfunction. During the K01 award period, the Candidate will pursue an innovative line of research
examining the impact of initial MJ use on reward processing in adolescent MJ users, while also receiving
essential training required to conduct such research. Specifically, the project will examine neural mechanisms
underpinning reward dysfunction in adolescent MJ users via multimodal neuroimaging [electroencephalography
(EEG) and a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)], and test whether these neuroimaging markers
predict escalation of disease symptomology at 12-month follow-up. Embedded within this novel project are clear
training aims, which will be implemented with guidance from a multidisciplinary mentoring team of renowned
research scientists. The proposed training plan will develop competency in (1) clinical characterization of
adolescent substance use; (2) utilization of fMRI to study reward circuity; and (3) advance biostatistics for clinical
outcome assessment. At baseline, MJ-using adolescents and MJ-naïve control adolescents will perform tasks
that probe reward anticipation and attainment stages of reward processing, separately with EEG and fMRI.
Participants will also undergo a resting-state fMRI scan for precise delineation of the neuronal circuitry underlying
reward processing. Lastly, participants will return 12 months after baseline for a clinical follow-up. The goal is to
investigate whether baseline neuroimaging markers of reward dysfunction predict escalation in substance use
symptomatology. Importantly, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is an ideal environment to conduct
neuroimaging research with children and adolescents, as it boasts fully-equipped Pediatric Mood and Anxiety
Disorders Program (P-MAP; Chief: Dr. Gabbay) to conduct interviews and behavioral testing, and the Brain
Imaging Center (BIC; Chief: Dr. Goldstein) for EEG and fMRI scanning. Collectively, the proposed research and
training goals will provide the Candidate with a strong foundation in adolescent psychopathological assessment
and functional neuroimaging, faci...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10127610
- **Project number:** 5K01DA043615-04
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Muhammad Adeel Parvaz
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $167,745
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10127610

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10127610, Characterization of Reward Processing in Adolescent Marijuana Use (5K01DA043615-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10127610. Licensed CC0.

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