The objective of this project is understand the brain's processing of decisions about risk-taking.
This project developed from an NIH request for studies of decisions to use drugs in "critical periods of development (particularly adolescence)", studies of the role of striatum and prefrontal cortex in addiction, "studies to charcterize changes in brain sites and circuits throughout the addiction process," and studies of "decision-making when outcomes are uncertain or include simultaneous rewards and punishments".
Our program, unique in the nation, simutaneously treats and studies adolescents with substance dependence (SD) and conduct disorder (CD). These conditions both reflect "behavioral disinhibition" - a failure to desist from rewarding but risky behaviors as the chance of punishing outcomes increases. BIologic, genetic mechanisms contribute to the expression of CD, SD, and behavioral disinhibition. Failures to desist from risky behavior could result from biological differences in brain processing of reward, punishment, or decision-making. We now assess behavioral disinhibition on our patients using simple computer tasks duringfunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Our event-related design discriminates braing activity during decision-making, reward, and punishment. We do functional and morphological MRI studies, comparing control adolescents with substance-dependent patients. We also examine patients' at-risk 9-11 year-old younger siblings, and control youngsters, before any of the siblings engage in extensive substance use.
Preceptor Information |
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| Name: | Thomas Crowley |
| Department: | Psychiatry |
| Location: | Colorado Psychiatric Hospital Building, Room 1G04 |
| 9th Avenue and Colorado Blvd. Campus | |
| Contact: | 303-315-7573 |
| thomas.crowley@uchsc.edu | |
| Faculty/Lab Website: | ibgwww.colorado.edu/cadd |
Position Information |
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| Openings | 1 |
| Funding: | No |