This is a competing continuation application for renewal (Years #21-#25, 8/l/01-7/31/06) of a K05 Senior Scientist Award (SSA) held since 8/01/81. The overall objective of the research has been to investigate through epidemiological studies three major themes on substance use in adolescence and adulthood: developmental patterns of involvement and cessation in the use of various drugs; risk and protective factors for involvement in drugs; and consequences of using drugs. Stimulated by findings obtained in the current period of support, the goal for the next five years is to conduct a multifactorial examination of the development of nicotine dependence.
Six specific aims will be pursued: (1) Describe the epidemiology and natural history of nicotine dependence and other aspects of smoking behavior, in particular the transition to daily smoking and nicotine dependence, among adolescents and young adults. (2) Identify psychological, social and biological factors that promote (risk factors) and factors that reduce the risk (protective factors) of daily smoking and the transition to nicotine dependence. (3) Specify the comorbidity of drug use and dependence with psychiatric symptoms among adolescents, in particular the sequencing and reciprocal relationships between nicotine dependence and depression. (4) Examine interpersonal influences on drug behavior, especially nicotine dependence, within and outside the family, and identify: a. the extent of familial similarity on drug behavior, including nicotine dependence, among parents and adolescents, siblings, and spouses; b. the relative contribution of genetic, shared and non-shared environmental factors to smoking onset, daily smoking and nicotine dependence among twins; c. the relative importance of selection and socialization on smoking among adolescent friendship pairs. (5) Identify pathways of progression in smoking, nicotine dependence, and the use of other drugs. (6) Identify gender and ethnic commonalities and differences for #1-#5. An overall goal is to incorporate a biological perspective in epidemiological research. Three interrelated research programs will be pursued to achieve these aims: analyses of a national longitudinal sample of young adults (Add Health), analyses of the National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse, and the implementation of a new longitudinal study of the transition to nicotine dependence in adolescence. The research will provide understanding crucial for the development of effective prevention and treatment interventions. Components of the program represent innovative activities in epidemiological research carried out on general population samples.
| Hu, Mei-Chen; Griesler, Pamela C; Wall, Melanie M et al. (2014) Reciprocal associations between cigarette consumption and DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria in adolescent smokers. Addiction 109:1518-28 |
| Kandel, Eric R; Kandel, Denise B (2014) Shattuck Lecture. A molecular basis for nicotine as a gateway drug. N Engl J Med 371:932-43 |
| Strong, David R; Schonbrun, Yael Chatav; Schaffran, Christine et al. (2012) Linking measures of adult nicotine dependence to a common latent continuum and a comparison with adolescent patterns. Drug Alcohol Depend 120:88-98 |
| Hu, Mei-Chen; Griesler, Pamela C; Schaffran, Christine et al. (2012) Trajectories of criteria of nicotine dependence from adolescence to early adulthood. Drug Alcohol Depend 125:283-9 |
| Levine, Amir; Huang, Yanyou; Drisaldi, Bettina et al. (2011) Molecular mechanism for a gateway drug: epigenetic changes initiated by nicotine prime gene expression by cocaine. Sci Transl Med 3:107ra109 |
| Kandel, Denise; Schaffran, Christine; Hu, Mei-Chen et al. (2011) Age-related differences in cigarette smoking among whites and African-Americans: evidence for the crossover hypothesis. Drug Alcohol Depend 118:280-7 |
| Hu, Mei-Chen; Griesler, Pamela; Schaffran, Christine et al. (2011) Risk and protective factors for nicotine dependence in adolescence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 52:1063-72 |
| Griesler, Pamela C; Hu, Mei-Chen; Schaffran, Christine et al. (2011) Comorbid psychiatric disorders and nicotine dependence in adolescence. Addiction 106:1010-20 |
| Strong, David R; Kahler, Christopher W; Colby, Suzanne M et al. (2009) Linking measures of adolescent nicotine dependence to a common latent continuum. Drug Alcohol Depend 99:296-308 |
| Kandel, Denise B; Hu, Mei-Chen; Yamaguchi, Kazuo (2009) Sequencing of DSM-IV criteria of nicotine dependence. Addiction 104:1393-402 |
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