NEUROIMAGING AND NEUROBEHAVIORAL BASIS OF RISKY DECISION-MAKING IN ADOLESCENTS

描述（由申请人提供）：青春期是身体，心理和社会发展的时期。许多年龄较大的青少年（18-24岁）从事高风险行为，如无保护的性行为，多个性伴侣和吸毒。这导致感染人类免疫缺陷病毒（艾滋病毒+）的青少年发病率上升。此外，许多艾滋病毒阳性青少年继续从事高风险行为，导致艾滋病毒进一步传播。目前对青少年风险决策的评估涉及有关性行为和药物使用的自我管理调查。必须确定危险行为的早期标志，以便实施有效的干预措施，减少青少年艾滋病毒的传播。 该提案将利用非侵入性神经成像，如动脉自旋标记（ASL），定量测量脑血流量（CBF）的风险决策网络。ASL的初步研究表明，艾滋病毒在危险的决策领域内使CBF减少60%。我们还将使用基于计算机的神经行为测试，模拟现实生活中的风险决策情况。神经影像学和神经行为学方法之间的相关性可以为我们提供独特的见解，推动青少年艾滋病毒流行的机制。我们的研究的总体直接影响将是：1）增加我们对青少年风险决策和艾滋病毒之间相互作用的了解2）开发早期神经成像和神经行为标记物，以评估艾滋病毒感染对风险决策网络的影响。这些结果将有助于护士，临床医生和公共卫生从业人员制定干预措施，可以挽救生命，减少艾滋病毒在这一脆弱人群中的传播。 公共卫生相关性：随着许多青少年从事高风险行为，如无保护的性行为、多个性伴侣和吸毒，艾滋病毒感染（艾滋病毒+）青少年的流行率有所增加。这项建议将：1）增加我们对青少年风险决策和艾滋病毒之间相互作用的认识; 2）开发早期神经影像学和神经行为标记物，以评估艾滋病毒对风险行为的影响。这些结果将有助于从业人员制定有效的干预措施，以减少青少年艾滋病毒的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adolescence is a period of physical, psychological, and social development. Many older adolescents (18-24 years old) engage in high-risk behaviors such as unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, and drug use. This has caused an increase in the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infected (HIV+) adolescents. In addition, many HIV+ adolescents continue to engage in high-risk behaviors leading to a further HIV spread. Current assessments of risky decision-making in adolescents involve self-administered surveys concerning sexual behaviors and drug use. It is imperative that early markers of risky behaviors are identified so that effective interventions are implemented to reduce adolescent HIV transmission. This proposal will utilize non-invasive neuroimaging, such as arterial spin labeling (ASL), to quantitatively measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) within risky decision-making networks. Preliminary ASL studies have demonstrated that HIV diminishes CBF by 60% within risky decision-making areas. We will also use computer based neurobehavioral tests that simulate real-life risky decision making situations. Correlations between neuroimaging and neurobehavioral methods could provide us unique insights into the mechanisms that fuel the adolescent HIV epidemic. The overall direct impact of our research will be: 1) an increase in our knowledge concerning the interaction between risky decision-making and HIV in adolescents 2) the development of early neuroimaging and neurobehavioral markers that assess the impact of HIV infection on risky decision- making networks. These results will assist nurses, clinicians, and public health practitioners in developing interventions that could save lives and reduce the spread of HIV in this vulnerable population. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: An increase in the prevalence of HIV infected (HIV+) adolescents has occurred as many adolescents engage in high-risk behaviors such as unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, and drug use. This proposal will: 1) increase our knowledge concerning the interaction between risky decision-making and HIV in adolescents; 2) develop early neuroimaging and neurobehavioral markers to assess the impact of HIV on risky behaviors. These results will assist practitioners in developing effective interventions to reduce adolescent HIV transmission.