Neurocognition, Brain GABA & Adolescent Alcohol Use

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案旨在为候选人提供成为独立研究者所必需的培训和研究经验。申请人在行为神经科学方面有很强的背景，在研究酒精敏感性的年龄相关变化的发育动物研究方面有经验。该候选人还接受过磁共振波谱（MRS）方法的培训，并将其应用于研究急性和慢性滥用药物暴露后的人脑代谢功能。拟议的职业发展计划的目标是融合这两种不同的研究经验，同时扩展候选人的技能，包括在人类发展过程中使用二维（2D） 1H-MRS评估神经认知功能和测定GABA水平。青少年被广泛认为是大脑成熟的关键时期，受神经元和激素的影响。此外，开始饮酒通常发生在大脑发育的关键时期。鉴于大量数据记录了酒精对许多神经系统的影响，很可能酒精摄入量的增加会对神经认知功能的过程以及发育过程中的大脑GABA水平产生不利影响。因此，本提案将研究1)健康青少年的神经认知表现；健康青少年脑GABA水平及其与神经认知功能的关系；3)青少年饮酒对神经认知功能和GABA水平的影响。这些研究将采用横断面设计进行，其中包括青少年（10-14岁）和年龄较大的青少年（18-22岁）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is designed to provide the candidate with the training and research experience that is necessary to become an independent investigator. The applicant has a strong background in behavioral neuroscience with experience in developmental animal research for the study of age-related alterations in sensitivity to alcohol. The candidate also has received training in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods and has applied them to study human cerebral metabolic function following acute and chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. The goal of the proposed career development plan is to merge these two diverse research experiences while extending the candidate's skills to include assessment of neurocognitive function and determination of GABA levels using two dimensional (2D) 1H-MRS during human development. Adolescence has been widely accepted as a critical period of brain maturation, resulting from neuronal, as well as hormonal influences. Moreover, the initiation of alcohol use typically occurs during this critical period of brain development. Given extensive data documenting the effects of alcohol on a number of neural systems, it is probable that a heightened level of alcohol consumption could adversely alter the process of neurocognitive function, as well as brain GABA levels during development. Thus, this proposal will examine 1) neurocognitive performance in healthy adolescents; 2) brain GABA levels, and its relationship to neurocognitive function in healthy adolescents; and 3) the impact of adolescent alcohol use on normative development of neurocognitive function and GABA levels. These studies will be conducted using a cross sectional design, which includes cohorts of young (10-14 years) and older adolescents (18-22 years). Findings from the proposed study will document the impact of alcohol use on the central nervous system during development, which has implications for both identification and treatment of alcohol-related disorders.