The Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep (CARRS) is a NIDA Center of Excellence. We bring together experts in translational sleep and addiction research to create a program focused on determining the circadian and sleep mechanisms influencing adolescent substance use vulnerability. CARRS is integrating human and rodent studies to understand the impact of adolescent sleep and circadian rhythm changes (both biologically and environmentally induced) on reward circuitry and substance use relevant outcomes.
Adolescence is a vulnerable time for substance abuse. This risk reflects the heightened reward system of adolescence, which is found regardless of cultural upbringing or home environment, relative to both adults and children. In addition, genetic, social and environmental factors influence the amount of sleep and circadian rhythm misalignment experienced by the adolescent brain.
The central hypothesis of the Center is that adolescent development acts on underlying sleep and circadian traits to modify homeostatic sleep drive, circadian phase, and circadian alignment, which in turn impact cortico-limbic functions critical to substance use risk (e.g., reward and cognitive control).
We further hypothesize that specific manipulations of sleep and circadian rhythms during adolescence will affect reward responsivity and cognitive control in either positive or negative directions. These manipulations will provide experimental support for our model, and proof of concept for novel clinical interventions to reduce the risk of substance use disorders. Interventions that help stabilize the circadian and sleep systems, or reduce the damage done by these disruptions, may be protective against substance abuse in vulnerable individuals.
The goals of the center are to: 1) Determine the role of sleep and circadian rhythms in reward sensitivity and substance use (SU) in adolescence; 2) Conduct translational research aimed at the development of interventions to reduce risk in at-risk individuals; 3) Partner with other Centers and the addiction research community to inform and complement ongoing research; 4) Provide training and education on sleep, circadian rhythms, and substance use.
We are inviting you and your teen to take part in an online survey. The goal of the research is to better understand teen sleep, mood, and behavior. Based on your responses, we may contact you about participating in additional research activities. Please understand that completing this survey does not mean you will be required or automatically signed up to participate in any in-person activities.
We understand that you or your teen may have reservations about research involvement during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, specifically protocols that require in-person participation. We want you to know that we are following UPMC guidelines for sanitization, masking, and physical distancing and are happy to discuss those procedures with you.
Our research staff have been vaccinated.