Adolescent NeuroDevelopment Study
University of California San Diego  SRI International  Duke University
Oregon Health & Science University  University of Pittsburgh

2015 Newsletter

SHOUT OUT to NCANDA-Pittsburgh
Duncan Clark, MD, PhD is the Principal Investigator of the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopmentin Adolescence (NCANDA): Pittsburgh site located at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Clark is aHarvard Medical School graduate, psychiatrist, and Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He has publishedover 250 academic papers on topics ranging from neuroimaging to text-message based substance use interventions. The
Pittsburgh site enrolled a total of 125 adolescents! Find out more at ncanda.org/pittsburgh.php.

The Results are In!
NCANDA Principal Investigators
submitted data from the “baseline” (firsttime point) group of 834 adolescentsages 12-21 for the Research Society on
Alcoholism 2015 Meeting in San Antonio, TX. If accepted,
the presentations will focus on describing the sample
based on age, gender, and substance use factors as wellas early findings on cognitive, motor, sleep, and neurophysiological differences. Preliminary results support thehypothesis that the maturing adolescent brain is more
susceptible to the negative effects of hazardous drinking.

Workout Your Brain?
Dr. John J. Ratey, MD, argues exercise is more important
for the brain than the body, especially when it comes to theclassroom. Students in the top 5% of fitness rankingsscored higher on standardized academic tests. Exercise
helps with concentration and the ability to switch between
tasks without making mistakes, and it acts as “MiracleGro” for the brain by releasing chemicals that make newbrain cells and new connections between brain cells tohelp us learn. http://www.johnratey.com/2014articles.php

ReminderPlease update us if your phone number, email, or addresschange! Find out more about the study at ncanda.org!

Caffeine & The Body
Caffeine changes the way the brain and body work by
acting as a stimulant to central nervous system, which
includes the brain, spinal cord, and other nerves in thebody. Caffeine consumed in a drink reaches peak levelin the bloodstream within 1 hour and stays there 4-6 hours. The main
effect of caffeine is to feel more awake or alert, but, it can cause
problems including uneven heart rhythm, increased blood pressure,headaches, dehydration, and dependence. While food, beverage, andnutrient labels are not regulated to include the amount of caffeine, theFDA recommends to be informed and learn how much caffeine is inthese items. For example, a dark chocolate candy bar or coffee flavoredyogurt can have similar amounts of caffeine as tea or soda.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/Buying
UsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/UCM205286.pdf

Did You Know?

Hibernating animals aren’t just taking a longnap for winter. While sleep is primarily
characterized by changes in brain activity,hibernation comes with some extreme
physiological changes. Those changes arecontrolled by hormones and can include adrop in heart rate to as little as 2.5% of thenormal rate, a body temperature reduction
by as much as 63°F, and some reptiles
stop breathing completely.
Hibernation. UXL Encyclopedia of Science, 2002.

Get Your Rest!

Recent research supported by NCANDA
suggests that common changes in sleep andcircadian rhythms during adolescence, often
attributed to staying up late and early school
start times, may contribute to accelerated
substance use and related problems. This is
yet another reason why everyone should makean extra effort to get the recommended 8-9hours of sleep every night!
Hasler B, Clark DB (2013).Circadian misalignment, rewardrelated brain function, and adolescent alcohol involvement.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 37:558-565.

The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on yourshoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe. - Dr. Michio Kaku