Adolescents clinical trials

Teenagers, Drug Addiction, and Reward and Impulse Control

Background: - The risk for becoming addicted to drugs varies from person to person, even among those who use similar drugs in a similar way. Studies suggest that certain personality traits seen in people with drug addiction may be present before drug use. These traits include responding differently to rewards or impulsivity. Early use of drugs (before age 15) is also associated strongly with drug addiction later in life. Researchers want to study teenagers with and without certain behavioral problems, including those who have used drugs and those who have not. This may help them better understand behaviors that might predict future drug addiction. Objectives: - To understand brain function in teenagers who may be at a higher risk than others to drug addiction. Eligibility: - Teenagers between 13 and 17 years of age who fit into one of four groups: - Have never or rarely used drugs - Have never or rarely used drugs and have conduct or behavior disorders - Have used drugs on many occasions - Have used drugs on many occasions and have conduct or behavior disorders Design: - Participants will be screened with a medical history, and physical and neurological exams. They will also have blood and urine tests. Participants will answer questions about past drug use and any current medications. They will also have a breathalyzer and carbon monoxide breath test to check for recent drug and alcohol use. - This study requires four visits to the clinical center for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and other tests. - The first study visit will include training for the MRI scans. Participants will practice the tasks in front of a computer and in a mock (fake) MRI machine. Participants will also be asked several questions about their personality and past experiences. - Researchers will test changes to tryptophan and dopamine levels. Both of these chemicals affect decision making and brain function. On the three study visits, participants will have the following tests in a randomly selected order. One study will be done at each visit. - MRI scans with changes to dopamine and tryptophan levels - MRI scans with changes to dopamine only (with placebo) - MRI scans with changes to tryptophan only (with placebo) - Participants will be monitored with frequent blood draws and other tests during the study visits....