# Affective Processing and Substance Use Escalation in Adolescence

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MILWAUKEE · 2021 · $45,213

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT. Adolescence is a unique neurodevelopmental period where bottom-up
affective processes is pronounced while top-down executive control is onboarded throughout this age range.
Specifically, subcortical limbic areas are more reactive to emotional stimuli and drive “hot” emotional responding.
These emotional states can outwardly appear in impulsive and risky-behavior, such as substance use, and is an
integral theoretical component to the notion of chronically relapsing substance use disorders. Thus, aberrations
in affective processing have been previously associated with problematic substance use maintenance in young
adulthood and onward. Though, few studies have investigated whether these affective processing aberrations
predate substance use escalation in adolescence, despite theoretical frameworks proposing a link between the
two and suggesting sex differences in their development. Understanding where prevention and interventions
could be targeted in this link is critical as repeated substance use in adolescence is linked with substance use
disorders, later psychopathology, and health concerns. Comparatively, research has independently linked poorer
working memory abilities with substance use in adolescence. As working memory and affective processing
contains overlapped functional brain areas—particularly in frontal regions—it begs the question as to whether
affective processing aberrations may impact effective utilization of “cold” cognitive processing and potentially
represent a risk for escalation of substance use. Despite this line of literature, no studies have investigated the
relationship between neuronal activation, within key affective processing brain regions, elicited by affective
stimuli during a working memory task on early substance use escalation outcomes, and investigate sex
differences in this trajectory. Let alone, investigating this relationship in a large-scale and demographically
diverse sample, prospectively, and prior to substance use initiation. Thus, Mr. Sullivan’s F31 proposal seeks to
examine these relationships in a secondary-analysis harnessing the landmark NIH-funded Adolescent Brain
Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, following over 11,800 youth across 10 years. Functional neuroimaging
data will be utilized across the study period, along with a myriad of other biopsychosocial measures, in predicting
adolescent substance use escalation (ages 9-15). This fellowship would provide Mr. Sullivan with an exceptional
opportunity to build his skills within functional neuroimaging and expertise in addiction and affective
neuroscience, while also advancing vital skills needed for longitudinal and “big data” analysis. A dedicated
mentorship team of ABCD Study leaders with expertise in these areas will ensure exceptional training. At the
conclusion of this fellowship, Mr. Sullivan will meet his goal of developing a diverse and high-quality skillset to
carry into an F32 proposal and progress to an early ca...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10313675
- **Project number:** 1F31DA054761-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MILWAUKEE
- **Principal Investigator:** Ryan Michael Sullivan
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $45,213
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-02 → 2024-08-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10313675

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10313675, Affective Processing and Substance Use Escalation in Adolescence (1F31DA054761-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10313675. Licensed CC0.

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