substance use
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Neuroanatomical Variability and Early Substance Use Initiation: Insights from the ABCD Study
Adolescence is a period of rapid brain development, making it a sensitive window for experiences that may shape long-term outcomes. A new study from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) project examined whether neuroanatomical variability is linked to early initiation of alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis. Drawing on baseline brain images taken before substance use began, the researchers found regionally specific differences in cortical thickness and surface area among early initiators. The findings highlight the complexity of adolescent neurodevelopment and point to the value of large-scale, longitudinal studies in clarifying how brain structure and behaviour unfold together.
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Dr. Daniel Shaw
Dr. Daniel Shaw is the Director of the Center for Parents and Children and the Pitt Parents and Children Laboratory. He also serves as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, with joint appointments in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, the School of Education, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Center for Social and Urban Research.
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Do brain function abnormalities lead to substance use, or vice versa?
New research has, for the first time, investigated the direction of links between brain function and substance use throughout adolescence. Jungmeen Kim-Spoon and colleagues studied 167 adolescents who were assessed annually for four years from 13-14 years old.
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Can population registry data predict which children with ADHD are at risk of later substance use disorders?
The first study to examine the potential of machine learning in early prediction of later substance use disorders (SUDs) in youth with ADHD has been published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology.
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Gender-specific pathways mediate the risk of substance use in adolescents with ADHD
Data suggest that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to start smoking tobacco and/or marijuana earlier in childhood than unaffected children, and then escalate use during adolescence. Now, a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota has examined the mediating pathways underlying this association between childhood ADHD and later substance-abuse problems.
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