Developmental pathways into adolescent substance abuse: neurophysiologic, genetic and environmental determinants

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In this study we want to learn to better understand the interplay of genes, brain function and environmental influences and how they result in the development of adolescent abuse of alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. To this end we will examine 2000 14 year old participants of the IMAGEN sample which have been characterised using functional neuroimaging analysis of behavioural processes like reward dependence, impulsivity and emotional reactivity which are known to be relevant for the development of adolescent substance abuse. In addition, to extensive behavioural and clinical assessments, a genome-wide analysis has been carried out in these children. We now propose to extend the IMAGEN study in order to observe the development of substance use patterns in the context of moderating environmental factors, such as exposure to alcohol, nicotine or drugs as well as psychosocial stress. We aim to identify and to characterise a multidimensional risk profile of genes, brain function and environmental influences which helps us to predict risk for early onset substance abuse, including binge drinking, smoking or cannabis abuse. We will test our model in a second large cohort of 10000 adolescents, the ALSPAC cohort. Our final goal is to contribute to the development of specific early interventions in carriers of the risk profile to reduce the incidence of adolescent substance abuse.