Antisocial drug dependence (Substance Dependence combined with Conduct Disorder or Antisocial Personality Disorder) may be due in part to genetic influences and may need special treatment. We propose a new center to study """"""""Antisocial Drug Dependence: Genetics and Treatment"""""""" under a NIDA P60 Grant. We represent two nationally known research organizations of the University of Colorado, the Addiction Research and Treatment Service and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics. For """"""""centerness"""""""", all of our hypotheses flow from a single unifying thesis. Component I will study drug-program patients and family members in a whole-genome search for quantitative trait loci that influence antisocial drug dependence. Component II will assess the familial transmission of antisocial drug dependence and comorbid psychopathology, seeking to identify specific mechanisms underlying the familiality of drug dependence. Components III and IV propose coordinated general population studies of, respectively, adolescent adoptees and twins, seeking genetic and environmental contributions to early drug experimentation. Component V will use family and behavioral data from Components I-IV to design and conduct Early Treatment Trials of adolescents and adults with antisocial drug dependence. Component VI will support smaller-scale pilot studies related to our unifying thesis, providing preliminary data for future grant applications to NIDA. An Administrative-Educational Core will coordinate the center's Executive Committee, external Scientific Advisory Board, and Speakers Series. This core also will provide (or enhance existing) education for fellow scientists, trainees, and the public. An Assessment Core will strengthen collaborative """"""""centerness"""""""" by helping PI's to utilize standard methods of assessment, phenotyping, and data management across components. A Molecular Genetics Core will perform genotyping. We also propose a proactive plan to provide leadership on social, ethical, and policy concerns about both antisocial drug dependence and human behavioral genetics.
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