This K01 application seeks support essential to my development as an independent interdisciplinary scientist. I am building a program of biopsychosocial research on self-regulation;particularly affect reduction and negative reinforcement (NR) as they relate to the development of substance use in adolescence. I have employed behavioral, electrophysiological, and hormonal assays (cortisol) to study risk-taking behavior. However, to fully understand avoidance and negative reinforcement processes, and their role in the risk for addictive behavior, I must deepen my understanding and broaden my technical skills in four core areas (a) developmental neuroimaging;(b) cognitive neuroscience;(c) substance use research;(d) statistical methods. This mentored scientist development award will provide me with the training to move onto an independent research career. While adolescence is a developmental period with increased risk-taking behavior and increased affect reduction motivation, we know relatively little about how the neural correlates of negative reinforcement processes relate to affect reduction motives and substance use behaviors. I address these gaps in our knowledge with three specific aims across two cross-sectional fMRI studies. I propose to study the neural and behavioral correlates of negative reinforcement for avoidance with two types of aversive stimulation (e.g., avoidance of incentive loss and avoidance of aversive sound) across two fMRI-friendly behavioral paradigms. The first study (n=48) will characterize the neural circuitry underlying negative reinforcement processes and behavior among children (8-11 yrs.), adolescents (13-17 yrs.), and adults (23-29 yrs.) The second study will examine the negative reinforcement-related neural correlates of affect reduction motives (negative affect, anxiety sensitivity) and substance use behaviors in a high-risk sample (14-18 yrs., n=70).

Public Health Relevance

At a minimum, this work will address important gaps in the knowledge base regarding adolescent development and the neural correlates of negative reinforcement in adolescence. Drawing on a high-risk sample, this work examines the neural correlates of negative reinforcement as they relate to high-risk behaviors including substance use. In addition to providing basic knowledge, this work also may have more long-range public health implications for the development of more effective and targeted interventions for adolescents at risk for substance use;particularly, those adolescents who turn to substance use or other risky behaviors to cope with aversive negative affect.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
1K01DA034125-01
Application #
8352812
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Sirocco, Karen
Project Start
2012-07-15
Project End
2017-06-30
Budget Start
2012-07-15
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$164,650
Indirect Cost
$12,196
Name
Yale University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520
Wu, Jia; Willner, Cynthia J; Hill, Claire et al. (2018) Emotional eating and instructed food-cue processing in adolescents: An ERP study. Biol Psychol 132:27-36
Morie, Kristen P; Wu, Jia; Landi, Nicole et al. (2018) Feedback processing in adolescents with prenatal cocaine exposure: an electrophysiological investigation. Dev Neuropsychol 43:183-197
van Noordt, Stefon; Wu, Jia; Venkataraman, Archana et al. (2017) Inter-trial Coherence of Medial Frontal Theta Oscillations Linked to Differential Feedback Processing in Youth and Young Adults with Autism. Res Autism Spectr Disord 37:1-10
White, Lars O; Ising, Marcus; von Klitzing, Kai et al. (2017) Reduced hair cortisol after maltreatment mediates externalizing symptoms in middle childhood and adolescence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 58:998-1007
Yang, D; Pelphrey, K A; Sukhodolsky, D G et al. (2016) Brain responses to biological motion predict treatment outcome in young children with autism. Transl Psychiatry 6:e948
Vazquez, Lauren; Blood, Julia D; Wu, Jia et al. (2016) High frequency heart-rate variability predicts adolescent depressive symptoms, particularly anhedonia, across one year. J Affect Disord 196:243-7
Blood, Julia D; Wu, Jia; Chaplin, Tara M et al. (2015) The variable heart: High frequency and very low frequency correlates of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. J Affect Disord 186:119-26
Bick, Johanna; Nguyen, Victoria; Leng, Lin et al. (2015) Preliminary associations between childhood neglect, MIF, and cortisol: potential pathways to long-term disease risk. Dev Psychobiol 57:131-9
van Noordt, Stefon J R; White, Lars O; Wu, Jia et al. (2015) Social exclusion modulates event-related frontal theta and tracks ostracism distress in children. Neuroimage 118:248-55
Yau, Yvonne H C; Potenza, Marc N; Mayes, Linda C et al. (2015) Blunted feedback processing during risk-taking in adolescents with features of problematic Internet use. Addict Behav 45:156-63

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