Craig R. Colder - US grants

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): This is an investigation of the effects of disinhibition on early risk for substance use. Disinhibition is a complex construct, and it is proposed that separating its constituent parts and examining their relationship to each other and to putative precursors of early substance use will elucidate one specific pathway, an antisocial pathway, to substance abuse. The proposed high-risk sample will include 11-13 year-olds (50 percent diagnosed with both ADHD and either ODD or CD and 50 percent without a DSM-IV diagnosis). Three core aspects of disinhibition will be assessed: (1) Autonomic reactivity as assessed by reactivity to reward and extinction during a continuous performance task, (2) Behavior as assessed by deficits in passive avoidance during a go/no-go discrimination learning task, and (3) Attention as assessed by a bias to attend to reward relative to punishment cues exhibited during a target detection. Cardiac reactivity to reward, electrodermal hyporeactivity to extinction, deficits in passive avoidance, and a relative bias to attend to reward versus punishment cues are expected to covary. These aspects of disinhibition are considered distal risk factors for early substance use. Accordingly, a mediational model is proposed such that core aspects of disinhibition will predict disruptive behavior problems, which in turn will predict affiliations with deviant peers (a proximal risk factor for early substance use). Multiple reporter data (parent and child) will be used to assess disruptive behavior and peer affiliations. The proposed project integrates a model of individual differences with socialization theory using a developmental framework to understand risk for early substance use involvement. It will provide data that will inform etiological models of adolescent substance use, specifically with regard to an antisocial pathway.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Developmental-ecological theory posits that the initiation of substance use (SU) in childhood and adolescence is a function of reciprocal and interacting influences between individuals and their socio- environmental context. Yet, very little research has integrated risk and protective factors from multiple levels. Theoretically grounded research that delineates unique and interactive individual and contextual influences on early emerging SU is needed to guide the development of preventive interventions. We propose to test mediational and moderational relations among cognitive, peer, parental, community, and psychobiological/motivational factors as pathways to adolescent SU. Research in neuroscience suggests that changes in appetitive motivation during adolescence increases vulnerability to risky contexts. The proposed research will examine how shifts in appetitive motivation converge with community, parental, and peer contexts to influence both implicit and explicit beliefs supportive of SU and SU. A sample of 400 10-12 year old children assessed across 3-waves will allow for the examination of how changes in these constructs presage SU. Child motivational profiles based on approach, inhibition, and self-regulation will be assessed using laboratory tasks, physiological indicators, and parent reports. Multiple methods will be used to assess beliefs about SU, and peer, parental, and community context. A combination of latent profile, transition, multilevel, and growth analysis, will be used to examine: 1) trajectories of SU beliefs;2) the direct, indirect, and reciprocal effects of context on SU beliefs and SU;and 3) the moderating effect of motivational profiles on the relation between context and beliefs and SU. This study examines developmental changes in beliefs related to adolescent SU, and modulation of contextual influences by psychobiological motivational profiles. The proposed research has the potential to provide important direction for how the content of SU preventive interventions could be tailored for specific populations and to target relevant etiological processes for maximal effectiveness.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adolescent substance use (SU) is of great concern in part because early patterns of SU often presage later negative outcomes. One pathway to SU involves a progression from childhood behavior problems to affiliations with deviant peers, which are key proximal determinants of initiation and escalation of adolescent SU. Moreover, reciprocal influences between individuals and their social environment are posited to affect the progression to SU. Limited research has considered the role of internalizing behavior problems and their co-occurrence with externalizing problems in this pathway. This is a notable omission because externalizing and internalizing problems often co-occur. Pure and co-occurring behavior problems may influence SU through different mechanisms, and if so, then preventive interventions need to be tailored accordingly. In addition, brain development during adolescence is thought to result in transient changes in appetitive motivation, which may increase vulnerability to risky contexts. There is a clear need for research that integrates developmental changes in motivation and social contextual influences to better understand vulnerability to and protection from initiation and escalation of adolescent SU. Such research will inform the development of comprehensive preventive interventions for at-risk youth. The proposed research will examine how shifts in motivational aspects of temperament interact with childhood behavior problems and peer context to influence SU. A community sample of 410 11-12 year old children will be assessed in a 3- wave longitudinal study, providing an opportunity to examine how changes in these constructs contribute to the initiation and early escalation of SU. Temperament profiles based on approach, inhibition, and self- regulation will be assessed using laboratory tasks, physiological indicators, and caregiver reports. Peer influences will be assessed using child and peer reports. We will examine: 1) the reciprocal relation between problem behavior and affiliation with peers who support SU;2) reciprocal mediational pathways among affiliation with peers who support SU, problem behavior, and SU;and 3) whether motivational profiles and profile transitions moderate the proposed mediational paths.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Early indicators of risk become increasingly relevant to alcohol and other drug use (substance use; SU) in late adolescence when SU escalates and substance-related problems emerge. Risk for SU builds cumulatively and sequentially over the course of adolescence, and understanding SU in late adolescence requires a characterization of the early adolescent risk context. Behavior problems in early adolescence set the stage for poor adaptation and increased risk for SU with incentive salience and effortful regulation playing an important role in escalation of SU. Yet, most research has focused exclusively on risk conferred by externalizing problems (e.g., aggression and delinquency). The etiological role of internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety and depression), though potentially significant, is poorly understood. No long-term longitudinal studies have followed youth from pre-initiation to use, escalation, and emergence of problems to provide a developmental account of the link between internalizing problems and SU. Moreover, social context (e.g. peers, parents) is a strong influence on adolescent SU, and changes dramatically from early to late adolescence. Limited SU research has focused on individual level changes in internalizing problems within this social context. The proposed project fills these critical gaps in the literature. This is a continuation o a study of SU in a community sample initially assessed at ages 11-13 years. The proposed project will follow the sample into late adolescence for three additional multi-method assessments (mean ages 18, 19, and 20 years) to evaluate continuity and discontinuity in individual and environmental risk over these years. A critical feature of our longitudinal design i the ability to compare directly how the role of internalizing problems, mediation, moderation, and potential bidirectional associations shift across age and stage of use (initiation, heavy use, problem use). The project will examine: 1) The changing role of internalizing problems with age and stage of use; 2. Key mediators (motives for SU and peer affiliations) and moderators (peer norms, parent-adolescent relationship quality) of the effects of internalizing; 3) Reciprocal associations between incentive salience, effortful regulation, internalizing symptoms, and SU.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Risk for substance use (SU) including alcohol and other drug use, builds cumulatively over the course of adolescence culminating at a point of peak risk in late adolescence. Understanding the emergence of SU and related problems in late adolescence requires a characterization of the early adolescent risk context. SU information processing is a proximal cause of SU that mediates a broad range of more distal risk and protective factors. Current cognitive models of addiction distinguish controlled (slow deliberative and reflective) and automatic (fast and impulsive) processing and appraisal of SU information and posit that these processes jointly influence SU. Further, the role of information processing in SU is moderated by general capacity for self- regulation (i.e., executive functioning), which confers added risk. The literature supports these models for both adolescents and adults, yet very little of this research has taken a developmental perspective. Consequently, how automatic and controlled SU information processing develops, and whether these processes operate differently with age and stage of use is poorly understood. This is a critical gap in the literatur, as well- validated developmentally informed etiological models are crucial for the advancement of effective preventive interventions. Social context (e.g. peers, parents) and personality are strong determinants of SU, in part because of the role they play in shaping SU information processing. Social context changes dramatically from early to late adolescence, yet there has been little consideration of how these shifts may affect the development of SU information processing across stages of adolescence and stages of use. Indeed, no long- term longitudinal studies have followed youth from SU initiation, escalation, and emergence of problems to address these issues. Furthermore, neuroadaptations to SU change the motivational significance of SU, and likely impact reciprocal associations between SU and SU information processing, yet no research has examined such bidirectionality across adolescence. The proposed project addresses these gaps. This is a continuation of a study of alcohol and drug use in a community sample first assessed at ages 10-13 years. The proposed project will follow the sample into late adolescence (mean ages 18, 19, and 20 years) for 3 additional multi-method assessments that will include laboratory tasks and questionnaires. A critical feature of our longitudinal design is the ability to model multiple etiological influences, and pathways (mediation, moderation, reciprocal associations) and to compare directly how each may shift across age and stage of use (initiation, heavy use, problem use). The project will examine: 1) The changing role of automatic and controlled SU information processing; 2) Whether these processes mediate the influence of social context (parental SU- specific socialization, peer norms) and personality (reinforcement sensitivity) on SU; 3) Reciprocal associations between SU information processing and SU.

ABSTRACT Sexual assault (SA) is a significant problem affecting young adult women. The routine social activities in which women engage are a critical mechanism of assault risk, one that is not well understood. As such, directions for prevention are few. In the proposed study, we will examine the ways in which women may enter into and navigate high risk contexts and activities (routine risk activities) that are known to be associated with SA. This examination will focus on social- interpersonal goals, which we believe to be at the core of SA risk. We also will examine capacity for self-regulation, and peer influences, which may augment or buffer against this risk. Our sample will be a longitudinal community sample of young women initially recruited at ages 11-12 (R01 DA020171; Colder, PI; Read, Co-I) and now in a peak period of victimization risk. We will used a mixed method design to examine these processes as they occur dynamically in young adult women (Aim 1; weekly burst design) and we will take advantage of the historical data that we have from this sample to also test developmental processes that may lead to risk (Aim 2; longitudinal panel design). Finally, we will link dynamic, shorter-term changes in interpersonal processes to longer-term developmental processes (Aim 3).