Novelty Seeking as a Phenotypic Marker of Adolescent Substance Use

Novelty Seeking as a Phenotypic Marker of Adolescent Substance Use

Trait novelty seeking has been consistently implicated in substance use, yet the origins and mechanisms of novelty seeking in substance use proneness are unclear. We aimed to characterize novelty seeking as a phenotypic marker of substance use proneness in adolescence, a critical period for drug use experimentation. To this end, we parsed novelty seeking's two constituent subdimensions - explor...

Novelty seeking, risk taking, and related constructs as predictors of adolescent substance use: an application of Cloninger's theory.

This study tested derivations from Cloninger's (1987a) theory of substance use on a sample of 457 adolescents. A 67-item adaptation of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and measures of 10 related constructs were administered together with measures of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Factor analysis indicated that the TPQ comprised nine subscales. An interaction for TPQ dime...

Adolescent and young adult crash risk: sensation seeking, substance use propensity and substance use behaviors.

In a national youth sample, the propensity to use substances was more strongly related to motor vehicle crashes than use of any specific substance studied (cigarette, alcohol, marijuana). Substance use propensity was associated with sensation seeking, suggesting that increased crash risk for these youth is likely a result of general risk-taking tendencies.

Adolescent substance use.

Early life stress and novelty seeking behavior in adolescent monkeys.

Recent evidence suggests that early exposure to mild stress promotes the development of novelty seeking behavior. Here we test this hypothesis in squirrel monkeys and investigate whether novelty seeking behavior is associated with differences in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA), the n...