National Consortium on Alcohol &NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA)

2021 NEWSLETTER

Duke University • UC San Diego • SRI International •University of Pittsburgh • Oregon Health & Science University

Go to NCANDA.orgfor NCANDA publications

mNCANDA AppThanks to your participation in the mNCANDA App, we are excited to report the first peer-reviewed paper was published inthe Journal of Medical Internet Research. We reported data from 534 NCANDA participants (aged 17-28 years) using theapp for up to 18 months, with an average response rate of 82%. Continue reading here…mhealth.jmir.org/2021/2/e24472/

Brain Games
With many of us spending more time alone,people are finding new ways to fight boredom,including picking up a new hobby like playing
an instrument, baking, or learning a newlanguage. Mentally stimulating activities likechess, crosswords, Sudoku, and even playing
an instrument or painting can be considered“brain games”.
Brain games utilize critical thinking skills
that tend to decline with age, such asprocessing speed, reaction time, decision
making, and short-term memory. Whileparticipation in them alone won’t enhancememory, they can be an effective tool toimprove specific brain-based skills andmaintain general brain health.
Do you want to start incorporating brain
games into your daily routine? Make sure you
diversify your interests once you build a solid
skillset in one hobby. Maintaining previously
established skills is also important, so makesure to engage in multiple types of activities,
including physical exercise for overall health.
//health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-thinkingon-brain-games

Benefits of Spending More Time at Home
Being physically present with loved ones
maintains mental health by establishing a
regular support system and genuine
connection. This process functions throughface to face communication, which may help
to reduce the symptoms of depression andanxiety that can be exacerbated by social
media use. Spending more time with family
also strengthens conflict resolution and stressmanagement skills, affording family members
opportunities to talk through conflicts. Working
from home also presents the opportunity tocreate a healthier work-life balance with moretime to prioritize physical and mental health.
With more time spent at home, nurturing andpreserving personal connections with family
members or roommates are
more important than ever insustaining physical andmental health.
//highlandspringsclinic.org/

Brain Game Sudoku
This puzzle can be solved withlogic and without guessing. Eachbox should have a letter from thewords B R A I N G A M E. Eachrow must contain only one ofeach letter; each column should
contain only one of each letter;each of the nine 3x3 boxes
should contain only one of each.
tter.

Breaks for Brain HealthWorking or schooling from home has some advantages, however, thereare potential negative effects. Common detrimental health impacts include
diabetes and feelings of depression notable when sitting for prolonged
periods. Similarly, trying to sustain attention for extended time can becounterproductive. It is often recommended that taking breaks from work
during the day is beneficial for health and productivity, and there is scientificevidence supporting this claim. The performance of the prefrontal cortex,
involved in logical thinking and executive functioning, is enhanced after
taking time away from strenuous concentration. Therefore, dispersing
leisure time throughout the workday may improve motivation. There is also
data that memory consolidation could occur during a rest period other thansleep. The next time you are working for an extended period, take amoment to go on a walk, meditate, doodle, or spend some time outside ofyour work environment and see if any of these strategies help you focus on
the task at hand.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201704/how-do-work-breaks-help-yourbrain-5-surprising-answers

Drugs in the NewsIbogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactivesubstance noted by anecdotal sources to treat
addiction, can have dangerous side effects andshould not be used without medical oversight, if atall. Another compound with potentially lessdetrimental side effects, called tabernanthalog(TBG), was recently developed by scientists at UC
Davis. In a binge-drinking model in mice, TBG
treatment displayed similar effects to anti-addiction
drugs. In addition, TBG caused a rapid reduction inheroin consumption and protection from relapse inopioid seeking rats. Although this is a promising
step forward in addiction research, further studies
are needed before these findings can be applied totreat human drug addiction.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03404-z

Sudoku Answer Key