This application is for a NIMH K23 Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award. This award would provide the resources necessary to complete the proposed Career Development and Research Activities as outlined in the application. Briefly, the applicant proposes to gain the expertise necessary to establish herself as an independent investigator exploring the developmental neurobiology of child behavior and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD. The applicant will work with her team of mentors to achieve the following three training goals: Training Goal 1: Acquire the knowledge and skills to conduct studies of cognitive function in ADHD within a developmental framework. Training Goal 2: Develop the necessary skills to implement studies using fMRI methodologies to examine changes in cortical activity associated with cognitive processes in ADHD. Training Goal 3: Develop the skills to combine the techniques of fMRI and pharmacological manipulations (i.e. cholinergic drug challenge) to examine the changes in patterns of brain activation related to changes in cognitive function associated with manipulations of the cholinergic system. Upon the completion of this CDA, the applicant will have the necessary skills, expertise, and preliminary data to secure funding (i.e. NIH R01) to develop her research program exploring cholinergic mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in disorders such as ADHD, which have traditionally been studied using other neurochemical models.

Public Health Relevance

This novel line of research will provide a broader understanding of the neurobiology of ADHD, will further our understanding of the developmental trajectory of cognitive process in ADHD, and may guide the development of new pharmacological treatments for ADHD. In addition, the knowledge gained from this study may contribute to understanding the high rates of smoking in adolescents and adults with ADHD.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23MH079216-04
Application #
8206768
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-J (02))
Program Officer
Friedman-Hill, Stacia
Project Start
2009-04-01
Project End
2013-12-31
Budget Start
2012-01-01
Budget End
2012-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$156,840
Indirect Cost
$11,210
Name
University of Vermont & St Agric College
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
066811191
City
Burlington
State
VT
Country
United States
Zip Code
05405
Potter, Alexandra S; Schaubhut, Geoffrey; Shipman, Megan (2014) Targeting the nicotinic cholinergic system to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: rationale and progress to date. CNS Drugs 28:1103-13
Ryan, Katherine K; Dube, Sarahjane L; Potter, Alexandra S (2013) Rate dependent effects of acute nicotine on risk taking in young adults are not related to ADHD diagnosis. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 103:652-8
Potter, Alexandra S; Bucci, David J; Newhouse, Paul A (2012) Manipulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors differentially affects behavioral inhibition in human subjects with and without disordered baseline impulsivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 220:331-40
Newhouse, Paul A; Potter, Alexandra S; Dumas, Julie A et al. (2011) Functional brain imaging of nicotinic effects on higher cognitive processes. Biochem Pharmacol 82:943-51
Potter, Alexandra S; Ryan, Katherine K; Newhouse, Paul A (2009) Effects of acute ultra-low dose mecamylamine on cognition in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Hum Psychopharmacol 24:309-17