# Adolescent Substance Use Initiation: Disentangling neurocognitive risks from consequences using longitudinal and genetically-informed methods

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2022 · $1

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) is the largest long-term study of brain development and child
health in the United States. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of 21 research sites across the country,
a Coordinating Center, and a Data Analysis and Informatics Resource Center. In its first five years, under RFA-
DA-15-015, ABCD enrolled a diverse sample of 11,878 9-10 year olds from across the consortium, and will track
their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood. All participants received
a comprehensive baseline assessment, including state-of-the-art brain imaging, neuropsychological testing,
bioassays, careful assessment of substance use, mental health, physical health, and culture and environment.
A similar detailed assessment recurs every 2 years. Interim in-person annual interviews and mid-year telephone
or mobile app assessments provide refined temporal resolution of developmental changes and life events that
occur over time with minimal burden to participating youth and parents. Intensive efforts are made to keep the
vast majority of participants involved with the study through adolescence and beyond, and retention rates thus
far are very high. Neuroimaging has expanded our understanding of brain development from childhood into
adulthood. Using this and other cutting-edge technologies, ABCD can determine how different kinds of youth
experiences (such as sports, school involvement, extracurricular activities, videogames, social media, unhealthy
sleep patterns, and vaping) interact with each other and with a child's changing biology to affect brain
development and social, behavioral, academic, health, and other outcomes. Data, securely and privately shared
with the scientific community, will enable investigators to: (1) describe individual developmental pathways in
terms of neural, cognitive, emotional, and academic functioning, and influencing factors; (2) develop national
standards of healthy brain development; (3) investigate the roles and interaction of genes and the environment
on development; (4) examine how physical activity, sleep, screen time, sports injuries (including traumatic brain
injuries), and other experiences influence brain development; (5) determine and replicate factors that influence
mental health from childhood to young adulthood; (6) characterize relationships between mental health and
substance use; and (7) specify how use of substances such as cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine affects
developmental outcomes, and how neural, cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors influence the risk for
adolescent substance use.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10591235
- **Project number:** 3U01DA041120-08S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** William G. Iacono
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2015-09-30 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10591235

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10591235, Adolescent Substance Use Initiation: Disentangling neurocognitive risks from consequences using longitudinal and genetically-informed methods (3U01DA041120-08S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10591235. Licensed CC0.

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