Department of Psychiatry
Psychiatry Scholars Program
Project Description
Causes and Treatment of Adolescent Antisocial and Drug-Dependent Behavior
The objective of this project is to improve our knowledge about the diagnosis, causes, treatment, and ethical underpinnings of adolescent antisocial behavior and substance abuse.
Examples of treatment-related projects:
- What treatments have been shown to be effective for these disorders?
- What prevention efforts may reduce the incidence of these disorders?
- How should pediatricians deal with these disorders?
Examples of research-related projects:
- What simple behavioral tests may capture the essence of patients’ risk-taking and lack of concern for others, and how can those tests be incorporated into genetic and brain-imaging studies of patients’ psychopathology?
- Where and which are the genes that contribute to the patients’ disorders?
- What is the role of environment (such as abuse and neglect) in the development of patients’ disorders?
- How can the severity of patients’ disorders be measured for quantitative gene searches?
Examples of social-ethical-policy projects:
- If genetically-influenced brain abnormalities contribute to the patients’ disorders, can patients be held responsible for their behaviors, and what are the appropriate legal sanctions for their criminal behavior?
- If these disorders have a life-long course, is short-term treatment appropriate and ethical?
- Are these risk-prone adolescents able to protect themselves properly when giving consent or assent to participate in research projects?
Preceptor Information |
| Name: |
Joseph Sakai |
| Department: |
Psychiatry |
| Location: |
Colorado Psychiatric Hospital, Room 1G06 |
| |
9th Avenue and Colorado Blvd. Campus |
| Contact: |
303-315-1516 |
| |
joseph.sakai@uchsc.edu |
| Faculty/Lab Website: |
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Position Information |
| Openings: |
up to 5 |
| Funding: |
No |