Grant: Project Grant

Why do some people develop substance use and related disorders? A partial answer is that they emerge from a trajectory of mood and impulse-control problems that begin in early childhood. Now, thanks to a collaboration between three teams, two specializing in longitudinal birth cohort research, the third in brain imaging, we are tracking, for the first time, anywhere in the world, how these high-risk behaviors are related to altered developmental changes in brain chemistry. In our first wave of brain imaging (CIHR grant 2014-2020), we found that high-risk youth have alterations to neurotransmitter systems that influence responses to rewards, punishments and complex decision-making. Now, we will test whether these pre-existing biological traits are worsened by accumulating stress and drug use. Ultimately, the traits could become targets for new medications. And new treatments are needed. Addictions and their commonly comorbid conditions yield staggering personal, family and social problems, accounting for one of the highest total global health burdens.