Models of adolescent drug use and its consequences. Recent concerns surround the impact of drug abuse - particularly binge drinking, inhalant abuse and cannabis use - on the mental health of adolescents. Early drug use is associated with mental health problems although the mechanisms involved are not well characterised. The present proposal aims to use animal models to characterise substance abuse that occurs during the adolescent period and to investigate its effects on brain and behaviour. Inc ....Models of adolescent drug use and its consequences. Recent concerns surround the impact of drug abuse - particularly binge drinking, inhalant abuse and cannabis use - on the mental health of adolescents. Early drug use is associated with mental health problems although the mechanisms involved are not well characterised. The present proposal aims to use animal models to characterise substance abuse that occurs during the adolescent period and to investigate its effects on brain and behaviour. Increasing our knowledge of the causes and consequences of adolescent drug abuse will improve Australia's ability to confront this problem and to develop early interventions and treatments that minimise associated harms.Read moreRead less
Age-dependent effects of cannabinoids on emotion, cognition and vulnerablity to addiction. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia so understanding the effects of this drug is of great importance. There is little of no basic research on cannabis currently occurring in Australia. Yet such research is critical in resolving the ambiguities and difficulties inherent in our understanding of the drug. The importance of increasing our understanding of the long-term effects of the dr ....Age-dependent effects of cannabinoids on emotion, cognition and vulnerablity to addiction. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia so understanding the effects of this drug is of great importance. There is little of no basic research on cannabis currently occurring in Australia. Yet such research is critical in resolving the ambiguities and difficulties inherent in our understanding of the drug. The importance of increasing our understanding of the long-term effects of the drug on young developing brains is particularly evident. The information gained in the current project will serve to inform medical and scientific communities, government policy makers, as well as the broader Australian community. Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL0992409
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,996,243.00
Summary
The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is ....The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is only predicted to increase as the population ages. Understanding these changes in neural systems and their specific behavioural effects is, therefore, of critical importance and will ultimately provide new targets for treatment and rehabilitation.Read moreRead less