This study—“A neuroimaging study of genetic, hormonal, cognitive, and social-cognitive variants in a subsample of Fast Track young adults”—examines a group of males who had been randomly assigned to receive the Fast Track intervention, a group that had been randomly assigned as controls, and a community normative sample for testing developmental models. This study has two goals: 1) to test the hypothesis that random assignment to the Fast Track intervention maps onto alterations in the structure and function of neural circuits supporting cognition and emotion as well as their interactions, which have been previously linked to antisocial behavioral outcomes including substance abuse; and 2) to test hypotheses that early life experiences interact with constitutive genetic differences to predict the structure and function of these same neural circuits.

This study aligns well with the Center for the Study of Adolescent Risk and Resilience (C-StARR)’s overriding goal to translate evidence from basic-science research on regulatory processes into novel research projects that prevent substance use and other conduct problems. It will improve our understanding of multiple neural pathways through which genetic and environmental variables bias the manifestation of substance use and antisocial behaviors in young adulthood. This study also promotes a novel integration of genetics, neuroimaging, and developmental psychopathology, which may provide new evidence at the interface of these disciplines. Furthermore, it contributes to the training of young prevention scholars by employing early career researchers such as Anne-Marie Iselin (a research scientist working with Ken Dodge) and Justin Carré (a postdoctoral associate with Ahmad Hariri) as junior investigators. Together we will publish manuscripts in the fall of 2011. This study will provide necessary feasibility data and preliminary results to support an R01 grant application to NIDA that  would assess Fast Track participants from other groups (i.e., females) and geographic sites (e.g., Seattle), as well as longer-term outcomes (e.g., adult substance dependence).

During the first three months of the project IRB approval was secured at the medical center. Several testing supplies (e.g., saliva tubes, urine drug test kits) were required and purchased during this time. We also hired and trained three RAs. Recruitment of participants began in March 2011 following IRB approval. Participants were a subsample of young adults from the Fast Track study—all males from Durham. During testing, participants completed several measures of cognitive, social cognitive, and behavioral outcomes (e.g., alcohol and substance use, social-information processing). Participants also performed the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP), a well-validated behavioral measure of reactive aggression. During the PSAP, participants provided 5 saliva samples at 5 different time points which were used to assess steroid hormone (e.g., testosterone and cortisol) dynamics during aggressive provocation. Participants were told they could “win” up to $10 in the PSAP task, however, in reality all participants were paid the $10 after completing the task. The neuroimaging part of the study uses MRI to assay 1) regional gray matter concentrations using VBM of high-resolution 3D FSPGR data, 2) white matter integrity using DTI-derived regional FA metrics, 3) baseline neural circuit dynamics using resting BOLD fcMRI, and 4) behaviorally relevant neural circuit function using BOLD fMRI. Participants were paid approximately $200 for participating in the study, which is a rate equivalent to prior payments participants received in the Fast Track study.

A total of 70 participants were successfully tested on the entire research protocol. There are partial data on 3 participants and incomplete data on 7 other participants who consented but were unable to complete any testing. Therefore, out of a total of 80 enrolled participants complete data were obtained on 70.

Data will be analyzed and results will be submitted for publication in the winter of 2012. Preliminary results from this study will be used in a grant application to be submitted to NIH or NSF in the spring/summer of 2012. The application will seek support for a larger study of all Fast Track participants, using similar procedures to those being used in the current study.