Delay aversion in adolescent ADHD and the propensity for early drug use: a fMRI study.

Childhood ADHD is a risk for early onset substance use and abuse. Understanding the link between ADHD substance use is a health policy priority. Recent theories of ADHD emphasize the notion of multiply neuro-developmental pathways from risk to disorder each associated with specific causes, mediators and risks. The current proposal focuses on a putative "motivational/affective" pathway. This model postulates that delay aversion (DAv) plays an important role in the development of ADHD. DAv is a motivalional/affective element which drives the avoidance of/escape from delay because of its negative affect. Behavioral evidence exists for problems with DAv in patients with ADHD. However, basic research into the neural signature of DAv remains in its infancy and hypotheses about its central role in the emergence of substance use have not been tested. The current project consists of three studies that explore the effects of DAv and its underlying neural architecture in ADHD and early onset substance use in adolescent boys between the ages of 14 and 18. Results will help us understand common and distinctive components of the neural architecture of DAv in ADHD and early onset substance use and to provide pointers for early identification and treatment of early substance use in ADHD. The rationale and design of this project is part of a close and continuing collaboration with the originator of the DAv hypothesis in ADHD, prof. Dr. E. Sonuga-Barke from the University of Southampton.

Keywords:Young, ADHD, Substance use, Substance abuse, Delay aversion, Reward processing, fMRI

Disciplines:Medical imaging and therapy, Other paramedical sciences, Neurosciences, Biological and physiological psychology, Cognitive science and intelligent systems, Developmental psychology and ageing, Psychiatry and psychotherapy, Nursing, Clinical and counselling psychology, Other psychology and cognitive sciences