Effects of Adolescent Binge Drinking on Brain Development

by: Michael Saunders

The National Institutes of Health, also referred to as NIH, is an agency that is operating under the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The NIH is primarily responsible for ensuring all of the country's biomedical and health-related research studies. The attempts of the NIH are always geared towards the attainment of their mission, which is to "seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability."

In line with this mission, the National Institutes of Health, in close cooperation with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has established the Effects of Adolescent Binge Drinking on Brain Development Project.

The Effects of Adolescent Binge Drinking on Brain Development Project intends to determine the effects of adolescent binge drinking on the synaptic maturation and myelin formation in the a person's developing brain.

The NIH and NIAAA plans to achieve this by soliciting exploratory or developmental research grant proposals that would potentially help in identifying the long-term consequences of adolescent binge drinking in the maturation of brain structure and its functions.

In addition, the NIH and NIAAA will utilize this research studies on animal models in order to unravel the underlying effects of excessive alcohol consumption on genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms.

The scope of the study will include, but is not necessarily limited to:

1) The anatomical or functional studies on cortical synapse pruning or refinement in models of adolescent binge drinking.

  (continued...)

Effects of Adolescent Binge Drinking on Brain Development
  Page 2

About The Author Michael Saunders is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com one the the most comprehensive Websites offering information on government grants and federal government programs. He also maintains Websites providing resources on environmental grants and grants for youth programs.

Additional Resources

category - Health Grants

Clinical Trials for Organ Transplantation in Children Program
The National Insitutes of Health has formed a partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to establish the Clinical Trials for Organ Transplantation in Children Program wherein both agencies intend to support a group of investigators in their quest of conducting clinical trials regarding pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.

---

OMICS Technologies For Predictive Modeling of Infectious Diseases Program
In keeping with this mission, the National Institutes of Health has formed a partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in an attempt to establish the OMICS Technologies For Predictive Modeling of Infectious Diseases Program.

---

American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program
Much of the international aid provided by the United States government goes to support education and healthcare efforts around the world. Many of these programs are design to encourage the spread of American values to other countries.

---

Rheumatic Diseases Research Core Centers Project
The National Institutes of Health, in close cooperation with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), has established a program entitled Rheumatic Diseases Research Core Centers Project wherein they intend to solicit applications for the development of Research Core Centers concentrating on rheumatic diseases.

---