"Working memory" could curb drug use.

• Position: Adolescence

Predicting which teens may have substance-use problems in early adulthood is not easy, but a researcher from the University of Oregon, Eugene, has helped refine the efforts in a way that could be a game changer for intervention efforts. Teens at most risk are those who have a weakness in working memory, have trouble controlling impulsive behaviors, and progress into heavy use during their early teen years, indicates Atika Khurana, assistant professor in the Department(s) of Counseling Psychology and Human Services.

Working memory refers to the ability to concentrate on a task without being easily distracted. Youth with weak working memory tend to have problems controlling their impulses, such as acting quickly without considering the consequences instead of staying focused on a later goal with a bigger payoff.

In previously published work, Khurana's team documented the flip side of the equation--how adolescents with stronger working memory were better equipped to escape progression into heavy use following initial experimentation. "Unanswered in our earlier work was whether it was specific forms of...