Congressional briefing on the ABCD Study September 19, 2016

Brain Development and Our Kids’ Future -
the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

A Congressional Briefing Sponsored by
The Friends of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse

In cooperation with
The Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus

Monday, September 19, 2016, 12:00 – 1:30 PM (lunch will be available)

Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (2168)

Adolescence is a time of extraordinary physical, emotional, and intellectual growth. It is also a period of increased vulnerability when risky behaviors, such as use of alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and other drugs, emerge as youth attempt to navigate an increasingly complex world. Yet, there is much we do not understand about how individual childhood experiences (e.g., exercise and sports, videogames, unhealthy sleep patterns, substance exposure, etc.) influence development and either promote or interfere with long-term cognitive, behavioral and physical health outcomes. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, was designed to address these knowledge gaps. Integrating structural and functional brain imaging with genetics, neuropsychological, behavioral, and other health assessments, scientists will study approximately 10,000 children across the country beginning at ages 9-10, through adolescence and into young adulthood to determine the many factors that can enhance or disrupt a young person’s life trajectory. The actionable information coming out of this study will enable education, substance use prevention, and other health promotion policies to ensure the wellbeing and success of the Nation’s children.

Speakers will provide an overview of the ABCD Study and discuss the implications of this research for education, health, and mental health. Representatives of other NIH Institutes and Centers will also be available to discuss their interests in the Study and to answer questions.

 

Speakers:

  • Dr. Sandra Brown, Vice Chancellor for Research and Distinguished Professor, University of California San Diego

  • Dr. Thomas Brock, Commissioner of the National Center for Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences

  • Dr. Sharon Levy, Director, Adolescent Substance Use Disorders Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

  • Dr. Kevin Gray, Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina. 

Discussants:

  • Nora D. Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH

  • George F. Koob, PhD, Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH

Please RSVP here: [ https://goo.gl/forms/RUopnqsSwUhBHFo63 ]

Contact Cynthia Malley (cmalley@apa.org) with any further questions.

 

 

Sponsors

 

 • Alkermes

 • American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

 • American Academy of Pediatrics

 • American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

 • American College of Emergency Physicians

 • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

 • American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

 • American Psychiatric Association

 • American Psychological Association

 • American Society of Addiction Medicine

 • Association of American Medical Colleges

 • Capitol Decisions Inc.

 • Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

 • Community of Concern

 • Consortium of Social Science Associations

 • Entertainment Industries Council, Inc.

 • Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences

 • Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility

 • Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse

 • IC&RC

 • International Society on Addictions

 • NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals

 • National Association for Children of Alcoholics

 • National Association of Drug Court Professionals

 • National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors

 • National Council for Behavioral Health

 • National Foundation for Prevention of Chemical Dependency Disease

 • National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

 • Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

 • Phoenix House

 • Research Society on Alcoholism

 • Society for Prevention Research, Inc.

 • Society for Research in Child Development

 • University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry