Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

The ABCD Study is no longer enrolling new participants.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project.

The ABCD Research Consortium consists of 21 research sites across the country, which will follow 11,874 children from ages 9 to 20. Researchers will observe their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

The results of the ABCD Study will provide families; school superintendents, principals, and teachers; health professionals; and policymakers with practical information to promote the health, well-being, and success of children.

Research Goals

Using cutting-edge technology, scientists will determine how childhood experiences (such as sports, videogames, social media, unhealthy sleep patterns, diet, and vaping) interact with each other and with a child’s changing biology to affect brain development and social, behavioral, academic, health, and other outcomes.

Learn More

For more information about the ABCD Study nation-wide, visit the ABCD Study Consortium Website.