Ginnie Graham: Good reasons to be part of ABCD's of brain research

Laureate for Brain Researc's Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development MRI Chief Technologist Julie Owens help a participant in the study into the MRI for Brain Scan

One of the weirdest T-shirts my 9-year-old daughter wears has a scan of her brain.

It was a parting gift of her first MRI taken in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development research project, referred to as the ABCD study.

The machine had a screen for watching videos, and she practiced for weeks with staff. Still, it was a long time for a fourth-grader to stay in one place.

“They said I was a little wiggly so some pictures were blurry, but they said they got enough,” she said of the experience.

The study is an ambitious project. It is following more than 11,000 healthy children ages 9 to 10 from across the country for at least a decade, making it the largest project on brain development and child health in U.S. history.

The Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S. Yale Ave., is one of about 19 national sites participating in this National Institutes of Health-backed research. The study looks at education, culture, mental health, addiction and genetics.

It involves quarterly assessments, yearly assessments and biennial brain scans. It involved genetic swabs and a request for my daughter’s baby teeth — at least the ones we had.

The assessment questions are in-depth and personal.

So why do this? Because it could lead to the most impactful, meaningful and fruitful discoveries in child and teen development to date.

To be part of the next leap in medical, health, social and psychological knowledge is something to embrace.

Important work: At my daughter’s back-to-school night in August, recruiters from the Laureate Institute for Brain Research spoke to parents about the project. I was immediately intrigued.

By using the science of brain scans and genetic testing combined with social data, researchers can better figure out what is happening in the adolescent brain. They can ferret out what are inherited traits versus cultural ones.

Over time, cause-and-effect relationships can be better understood and confirmed, rather than assumed or hinted at. Imagine what can be learned — how much better education can be developed.

But, to reach this enlightenment, people have to come forward to participate in the studies to collect information.

While I’d love to say my daughter was pulled in by such lofty goals, it was the promise of snacks, prizes and getting paid. Not big pay. But she didn’t have to clean her room for it, so she was in.

In the loop: The assessment covers everything from our present household to any possible mental illness going back generations. My daughter was asked questions like the number of siblings, who she lived with, whether she consumed alcohol or ever hurt herself.

No names are in the files. We are just a number.

“They promised they wouldn’t tell anybody except if there was a chance of me getting hurt,” she said.

When she did her quarterly assessment and they asked if she smoked marijuana, she responded: “No. I’m only 9 for goodness sake.”

I told her to always be honest. Integrity to the study is key. Besides, I hope we’ll have the kind of relationship where she won’t hide secrets from me — or at least any serious secrets.

The scan was my daughter’s favorite part, especially being able to view the video of it later.

“You get to know what’s happening inside your head,” she said. “It’s cool seeing how you can do stuff.”

With the visits, the kids play brain games to win small prizes. The contests are fun, but also serve as a learning tool for researchers.

For participating, I think she earned a total of about $100 on a debit card in the first year. She spent it on clothes at Justice.

The first gathering of the ABCD Tulsa study participants was held last month. While the children ate pizza and played games, the parents heard an update of findings from Dr. Martin Paulus — scientific director and president of the Laureate Institute for Brain Research.

Paulus said he wants the project to be a dialogue with parents and students so we know what researchers are learning along the way.

It’s reassuring to know that whatever benefits are discovered, we’re going to be told of it.

The initial questions being examined are how much internet/television/video are being used, how it affects problem behavior and how it affects physical activity.

It appears Tulsa children are similar to others in the country. The vast majority of 9- to 10-year-olds use these devices, which is OK in small doses. As they get into excessive hours, aggressive behavior, attention problems and social problems creep up.

This discredits the movement of banning screen time completely for children. Moderate use shows no drawbacks at this point.

This is preliminary, starting data. Much more is to come.

With it, my daughter will happily be in that mix of numbers — playing games, answering questions and getting her brain scanned.