Health and Developmental Consequences of Youth Drug Abuse

Research Findings from May, 2004 Director's Report

This section lists selected summaries from NIDA funded research projects that investigate the developmental implications of drug use. The summaries provided were selected from recent issues of the Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. For a more comprehensive listing of NIDA funded projects see the Director's Report.

Gestational Nicotine Exposure Attenuates Nicotine-Stimulated Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell of Adolescent Lewis Rats

The effects of chronic gestational exposure to nicotine on the nucleus accumbens dopamine response to acute nicotine were determined during adolescence (postnatal day 29-36) in cross-fostered and noncross-fostered Lewis rats. In both males and females, gestational nicotine exposure diminished the adolescent nucleus accumbens dopamine response to 0.07 mg/kg nicotine i.v. However, dopamine responses to 0.105 mg/kg nicotine were unaffected by gestational nicotine treatment and were similar in both genders. Furthermore, in both female and male gestational nicotine and control groups, the dopamine response to nicotine (0.105) was the same as that observed to the lower dose of nicotine in gestational controls. Thus, in adolescent male and female Lewis rats, gestational nicotine exposure attenuated nucleus accumbens dopamine release to a maximally stimulative dose of nicotine. Unexpectedly, in female gestational controls cross fostering per se reduced nucleus accumbens dopamine secretion to 0.07 mg/kg nicotine. These investigations suggest that gestational nicotine exposure could modify the acute reinforcing effects of nicotine in adolescent rats, whereas early postnatal stressors, (e.g., cross-fostering) may affect nicotine-induced reinforcement in female but not male adolescents. Kane, V.B., Fu, Y., Matta, S.G. and Sharp, B.M. Gestational Nicotine Exposure Attenuates Nicotine-Stimulated Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell of Adolescent Lewis Rats. JPET, 308(2), pp. 521-528, 2004.

Substance Use Related to Early Marriage

Prior work indicates that substance use is related to adolescent marriage. This study describes two different processes that may account for this relationship and hypothesize patterns of association that would be consistent or inconsistent with each. Using data from a study that followed west coast youth from 7th grade to young adulthood (N = 3,324), investigators assessed the effects of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in 7th and 10th grade on the probability of marriage prior to age 20. When gender, race, and SES were controlled, cigarette use in adolescence, but not other substance use, was associated with early marriage. Low educational attainment and early unwed parenthood each uniquely mediated this association. These results suggest that the link between substance use and early marriage reflects a disposition toward risky or unconventional behavior, not the judgment-impairing effects of drug and alcohol use. Martino, S.C., Collins, R.L., and Ellickson, P.L. Substance Use and Early Marriage. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 66(1), pp. 244-257, 2004.

Predictors of Offspring Nonparticipation in a Twin-Family Study

This study examines an important methodologic issue for family studies of substance abuse - whether parents' alcoholism is associated with offspring nonresponse to telephone interviews. In 1999, the first wave of a longitudinal study of offspring of alcoholic twins was conducted via telephone interview with members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. The target offspring sample consisted of 2,096 male and female children, of whom 1,270 were successfully interviewed. Offspring response status was classified as participation, refusal or unavailable/no consent. Stepwise logistic regression models were used to identify variables that were significantly associated with one or both types of offspring nonparticipation. A multinomial logit procedure with backward deletion was then used to build a model of the three levels of child response. The results showed that paternal alcoholism was not significantly associated with offspring nonresponse. However, offspring nonparticipation because of not being located, or being deceased, disabled or unavailable was associated with current paternal smoking, paternal divorce and paternal marital status. The most important conclusion to be drawn from current results is that the alcohol abuse and dependence history of fathers should not bias analyses in family studies of alcoholism when data are collected via telephone interview. Scherrer, J.E., Waterman, B.M., Heath, A.C., Bucholz, K.K., True, W.R. and Jacob, T. Are Substance Use, Abuse and Dependence Associated with Study Participation? Predictors of Offspring Nonparticipation in a Twin-Family Study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 65, pp. 140-144, 2004.