Neurophysiological Predictors of Substance Use Among Young Adults with ADHD

Contract #: HHSN271200800009C

PI: Leanne Tamm, PhD

Collaborators: Jeffery Epstein, PhD; Jim Bjork, PhD (National Institute on Drug Abuse); Karen Wells, PhD, and Allen Song, PhD (Duke University Medical Center); Larry Greenhill, PhD (New York State Psychiatric Institute); Brad Petersen (Columbia); Howard Abikoff, PhD, Xavier Castellanos, MD, and Michael Milham, MD, PhD (New York University Medical Center); Brook Molina, PhD (University of Pittsburgh); Steve Hinshaw, PhD (University of California, Berkeley); Jim Swanson, PhD, Tim Wigal, PhD and Steve Potkin, MD(University of California, Irvine); Terry Jernigan, PhD, Anders Dale, PhD, and Susan Tapert, PhD (University of California, San Diego); Dan Mathalon (University of California, San Francisco); BJ Casey, PhD (Cornell Medical Center); Krista Medina, PhD (University of Wisconsin - Milwuakee)

The objective of this study is to examine neurophysiological and neurocognitive differences between subgroups of individuals with and without a history of childhood ADHD and with and without Substance Use Disorders (SUDs).   Individuals diagnosed with ADHD are at increased risk for a range of SUDs though the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this risk are unclear.  In order to address the question of how ADHD-related neuroanatomical and neurophysiological differences may confer risk for later SUDs independent of actual drug effects, and how longer-term treatment with ADHD medication may factor into this relationship, appropriate study designs with adequate control conditions are critical. 

 A sample of 88 young adults with ADHD and 44 young adults without a childhood history of ADHD will be recruited from the Multimodal Treatment for ADHD study.  We anticipate approximately one half of each group will be substance users.  We will evaluate participants using

• A neurocognitive battery,
• Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
• Functional MRI (fMRI) including resting-state fMRI and event-related fMRI. 

 Specific aims:

• Aim 1: To examine the relation between brain neuroanatomy and neurophysiology and SUD in a sample of individuals previously diagnosed with childhood ADHD including comparison to a non-ADHD comparison sample with and without SUDs.
• Aim 2: To examine the associations between clinical stimulant medication use on brain neurophysiology among young adults with childhood ADHD
• Aim 3: To examine the mediating neurophysiological effects of long-term clinical use of stimulant medication on SUDs.