Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity and greater impulsivity. On top of this, many teenagers experience chronic sleep deprivation and misalignment of their circadian rhythms due to biological shifts in their sleep/wake patterns paired with early school start times. Many studies find that this increases the risk for substance use (SU). However, what impact circadian rhythm and sleep disruption either together or independently have on the neuronal circuitry that controls reward and cognition, or if there are interventions that might help to modify these disruptions is unknown. Project 2 (P2) of the CARRS center will test an innovative and mechanistic model of brain circuitry that uses multi-method approaches, takes a developmental perspective, and incorporates key sleep and reward constructs.
Typically enrolled in a traditional high-school with synchronous learning (in-person or online synchronous learning, but not cyber- or home-schooling) [school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic are an exception to this]
Physically and psychiatrically healthy
Provision of written informed consent and assent
Additional inclusion criterion for Experimental protocol: Meets operational definition of late sleep timing (>10:50PM habitual bedtime)
History of alcohol, cannabis, or illicit drug use in the past month, or greater than monthly use in the past year
Significant or unstable acute or chronic medical conditions
Frequent headaches or migraines
History of seizures
University of Pittsburgh
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Collaborator