Neurocognition, Brain GABA & Adolescent Alcohol Use

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在为候选人提供成为独立研究者所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，在研究与年龄相关的酒精敏感性变化的发育动物研究方面有丰富的经验。该候选人还接受了磁共振波谱（MRS）方法的培训，并将其应用于研究急性和慢性暴露于滥用药物后的人类大脑代谢功能。拟议的职业发展计划的目标是合并这两个不同的研究经验，同时扩展候选人的技能，包括神经认知功能的评估和GABA水平的测定在人类发育过程中使用二维（2D）1H-MRS。 青春期被广泛认为是大脑成熟的关键时期，这是神经元和激素影响的结果。此外，开始使用酒精通常发生在大脑发育的这一关键时期。鉴于大量的数据记录了酒精对许多神经系统的影响，酒精消费水平的提高可能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; 2）健康青少年的大脑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水平的规范发展的影响。这些研究将采用横断面设计进行，包括年轻（10-14岁）和年龄较大的青少年（18-22岁）队列。 这项研究的结果将记录酒精使用对发育过程中中枢神经系统的影响，这对酒精相关疾病的识别和治疗都有影响。

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.