Early Adversity and Drug Use Vulnerability Among Low Income Rural Children: Testing a Neuro-ecological Model of Resilience

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R01 · $27,322 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Summary This diversity supplement provides doctoral training for Ms. Avary Evans within the Building Resilience and Nurturing Children's Health (BRANCH; R01DA055630) study. BRANCH investigates the influence of rural environments on neurobehavioral vulnerabilities to drug use. Children in rural areas face higher addiction risk due to socioeconomic and resource disparities that affect their development. The study collects comprehensive data on 250 children starting at age 7, using fMRI to assess reward sensitivity, biospecimens to evaluate stress biology, and various measures of risk and protective processes. The supplement supports Ms. Evans, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, to examine neuroendocrine processes influencing the development of reward sensitivity. Reward sensitivity, a significant predictor of drug use vulnerability, undergoes notable changes during pubertal maturation starting with adrenarche (ages 7-9). This work aims to clarify the influence of adrenarcheal timing on reward sensitivity and how socioeconomic hardship (SES-H) moderates this relationship. The first aim is to investigate how adrenarcheal timing, measured via dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, predicts activation in the reward network during a task 18 months later. The second aim is to explore how SES-H amplifies the relationship between early adrenarche and reward sensitivity. Ms. Evans will receive training to integrate hormonal data with developmental hypotheses, understand addiction neuroscience, conduct data analysis, and pursue professional development. This supplement aims to empower Ms. Evans with the necessary skills to excel in her career as an independent addiction scientist.

Key facts

NIH application ID
11085655
Project number
3R01DA055630-02S1
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Principal Investigator
Assaf Oshri
Activity code
R01
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$27,322
Award type
3
Project period
2023-04-01 → 2028-01-31