<p>There are two major aims with this study.<br> 1. To describe the developmental trajectory of (a) a community-based sample of youth with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD that has been prospectively followed from childhood into adulthood (approximately a 17-year span), and (b) a clinical sample of youth that received drug abuse treatment during adolescence (variable time span). <br> 2. To examine the association of phenotypes of drug involvement severity and risk alleles that prior research has suggested to be associated with drug abuse and externalizing disorders. The sample (N=607) consists of three groups based on youth status: Treatment, High Risk, and Control. These groups are defined as follows: Treatment - attended treatment or a brief intervention for a substance use disorder during adolescence (n=402); High Risk - elevated scores on standardized measures of disruptive behaviors during childhood based on teacher and parent reports (n=142); Control - normative scores during childhood on standardized measures of disruptive behaviors based on teacher and parent reports, and absent of any DSM-based behavioral/mental disorder when assessed during childhood based on parent report (n=66). Among the 610 participants who provided DNA, 607 are usable samples.</p>

Youth Drug Abuse, ADHD and Related Disorders

A Test-Replicate Approach to Candidate Gene Research on Addiction and Externalizing Disorders: A Collaboration Across Five Longitudinal Studies