Midbrain dopaminergic nuclei

Age-related changes in the structure and function of midbrain dopaminergic nuclei as revealed by high-field strength MRI.

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The human dopamine system develops steadily from childhood through to adulthood, peaking in adolescence. During this time, we see substantial growth in certain dopamine brain areas, which correspond with changes in dopamine-related behaviours and personality traits, such as decision-making and impulsivity. There is a growing interest to see what changes in these areas we may observe throughout adolescence and early adulthood and how this may lead to changes in behaviour. With this in mind, we are interested in using cutting-edge, high-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to observe these small but significant developmental changes and see how they may relate to dopamine-mediated behaviours such as decision-making and reward-learning.

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Both male and female

12 years old to 30 years old

Healthy Volunteers

Who can participate in this study?

We aim to study typically developing healthy individuals between 12 to 30 years old who fit the following criteria:
• Right-handed
• Fluent English speaker
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• No metal in body (braces, implanted pumps, pacemakers)
• No history of neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders, brain trauma, epilepsy, or ADHD.

What is involved?

For children and adolescents (12-18) and their parents/caregivers:
Participation involves coming to Western University for two 1 hour and 15-minute-long sessions. During the first session, we will familiarize your child with the brain scanning procedure using a mock-scanning training room. Next, we'll ask your child to complete a few tasks related to decision making and personality. We will also ask that your child complete a few questionnaires related to personality and decision making, while you complete a few short questionnaires about your child's early life experiences.
During the second session, brain scans will be taken while your child lies in the scanner for approximately 45 minutes and looks at some images. Afterwards, children and their parents/caregivers will be debriefed and given time to ask any questions they may have.

For adults (above 18):
Participation in this study involves comping to Western University for one 2.5-hour session. For the first half of this session, we'll ask participants to complete a series of cognitive tasks which measure aspects of decision-making and personality, and a few questionnaires related to one's personality and past experiences.
This is followed by an approximately 1-hour long brain scanning session. Participants will lie in an MRI scanner with earplugs and foam packing around their heads and will be asked to relax while looking at pictures. Afterwards, participants will be debriefed and given time to ask any questions they may have.

Principal Investigator & Posting Dates

Principal Investigator: J Bruce Morton
Study posted on: June 21st, 2022
Recruitment open until: June 15th, 2024

Who can I contact to learn more about this study?

For more information about this study please contact:

Cognitive Development and Neuroimaging Lab
cdnlab@uwo.ca

 

To participate in this study send us an email

 

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