7T MRI for Studying Addiction

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Abdolreza Momenan, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Must not be taking: Psychotropic

Disqualifiers: Withdrawal symptoms, Ferromagnetic objects, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

400 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how alcohol use disorders affect the brain and behavior. Researchers are developing simple tasks for MRI studies to better understand these effects. Participants will perform these tasks inside or outside an MRI scanner, aiming to create useful tools for future research. Suitable candidates for this trial are right-handed, healthy adults, with or without an alcohol use disorder. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to groundbreaking research that could enhance understanding and treatment of alcohol use disorders.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial excludes participants who are currently taking psychotropic medications (drugs that affect mood, perception, or behavior). If you are on such medications, you would need to stop taking them to participate.

What prior data suggests that this MRI technique is safe for studying addiction?

Research has shown that 7T MRI, a type of brain scan, is safe for studying addiction. Studies have used 7T MRI to examine brain patterns in individuals with conditions like bipolar disorder without major safety concerns. This non-invasive scan does not involve surgery or entering the body, making it generally easy for participants to handle. Although the MRI machine can be noisy, earplugs are usually provided for comfort. Overall, current research supports the safety of 7T MRI in humans. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using 7T MRI for studying addiction because it offers an incredibly detailed look at the brain's structure and function. Unlike standard addiction treatments that focus on behavioral therapy and medication, 7T MRI provides high-resolution imaging that can help scientists understand how addiction alters brain activity. This advanced imaging technique could lead to more personalized treatment approaches by identifying specific brain patterns associated with addiction, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals with alcohol use disorder.

What evidence suggests that this trial's tasks and MRI could be effective for studying addiction?

This trial will use 7T MRI, a powerful brain scanning method, to study how alcohol affects the brain's structure and function. Participants will include individuals with alcohol use disorder and those without, allowing researchers to compare brain activity between the two groups. Research has shown that 7T MRI can reveal unique patterns in how different parts of the brain connect in people with alcohol use disorders. This capability can highlight differences in brain activity, potentially helping scientists understand how alcohol influences decision-making and behavior. Brain imaging studies suggest that alcohol use can impact areas of the brain related to memory and stress. These findings might aid in developing better treatments for addiction by focusing on specific brain functions. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Abdolreza Momenan, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for right-handed adults aged 18-65 who are physically healthy. It's specifically for inpatients from another study and also seeks healthy volunteers. People with metal implants, pregnant individuals, those with claustrophobia or left-handedness cannot participate.

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently taking medication for my mental health.

I am in the hospital and experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

I do not have any metal implants or fragments in my body.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Task Development and Testing

Participants complete computerized tasks inside or outside the MRI scanner to develop and test behavioral tasks

1-3 visits

1-3 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any immediate effects post-task completion

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Behavioral and Functional Task Development
• MRI

Trial Overview The study is testing new computerized tasks to understand the behavior of people with alcohol use disorders. These tasks will be performed during a one-hour MRI scan session which may require lying still for up to 20 minutes.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: 2 Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

People without alcohol use disorder

Group II: 1 Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

People with alcohol use disorder

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Lead Sponsor

Trials

865

Recruited

1,091,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has identified quantitative biomarkers related to brain activity in individuals with drug addictions, which could be useful for various stages of addiction treatment, from screening to post-treatment follow-up.

Despite the potential of fMRI in addiction medicine, there is a significant gap between group-based research findings and their application in personalized treatment, highlighting the need for large-scale clinical trials to better integrate these insights into everyday practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional neuroimaging for addiction medicine: From mechanisms to practical considerations. Ekhtiari, H., Faghiri, A., Oghabian, MA., et al.[2017]

In a study involving 30 healthy participants, the dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride was found to reduce brain responses to both rewarding (like chocolate) and aversive stimuli (like mouldy strawberries), indicating its role in modulating how we process these stimuli.

The findings suggest that sulpiride's effects on brain activation could be relevant for understanding its use in treating psychosis and may also hint at potential antidepressant properties.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The D2 antagonist sulpiride modulates the neural processing of both rewarding and aversive stimuli in healthy volunteers. McCabe, C., Huber, A., Harmer, CJ., et al.[2022]

Neuroimaging has revealed that cocaine dependence affects not only dopamine-rich areas in the brain but also disrupts cortical regions, indicating a more complex network of brain dysfunction in addiction.

Recent studies suggest that changes in functional connectivity in cocaine users are linked to structural brain abnormalities, highlighting the potential for neuroimaging to inform personalized treatment strategies for addiction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The use of brain imaging to elucidate neural circuit changes in cocaine addiction. Hanlon, CA., Canterberry, M.[2021]

Alcoholic subjects showed significantly higher craving ratings for alcohol compared to social drinkers during fMRI scans, indicating a stronger psychological response to alcohol cues.

When exposed to alcohol cues, only the alcoholic participants exhibited increased brain activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior thalamus, regions linked to emotion regulation and craving, suggesting a distinct neural response to alcohol stimuli in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Activation of prefrontal cortex and anterior thalamus in alcoholic subjects on exposure to alcohol-specific cues. George, MS., Anton, RF., Bloomer, C., et al.[2022]

A study using multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging on 20 cocaine-addicted individuals revealed significant brain alterations, including decreased tissue volume and hypo-perfusion in key areas like the orbitofrontal cortex and prefrontal cortex, compared to 19 control subjects.

The findings suggest that these brain changes are associated with higher levels of cocaine dependence and cravings, highlighting the potential for multi-modal imaging to enhance understanding of addiction mechanisms and inform future treatment strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A hypo-status in drug-dependent brain revealed by multi-modal MRI. Wang, Z., Suh, J., Duan, D., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 38 college students (19 with internet game addiction and 19 controls), fMRI revealed that internet game videos activated specific brain regions related to vision, space, attention, and execution in both groups.

However, the group with internet addiction showed significantly increased activation in several right-brain areas, suggesting potential abnormalities in brain function associated with internet addiction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain of college students with internet addiction]. DU, W., Liu, J., Gao, X., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 37 male heroin addicts, those in short-term abstinence showed heightened brain activity in response to heroin-related cues, indicating stronger cravings and withdrawal symptoms compared to those in long-term abstinence.

Long-term abstinence was associated with reduced neural responses to heroin cues and less severe withdrawal symptoms, suggesting that prolonged abstinence may help diminish the impact of drug-related triggers and lower the risk of relapse.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cue-elicited craving in heroin addicts at different abstinent time: an fMRI pilot study. Lou, M., Wang, E., Shen, Y., et al.[2022]

Neuroimaging can enhance the prediction of relapse in drug addiction by identifying specific brain activation patterns; individuals who relapse show increased activation to drug-related cues but decreased activation to non-drug-related cues.

Structural changes, such as reduced gray and white matter volume in prefrontal regions, along with weakened functional connectivity in corticolimbic areas, can also predict relapse, suggesting that monitoring these brain characteristics may help tailor treatment strategies for those at higher risk.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Toward biomarkers of the addicted human brain: Using neuroimaging to predict relapse and sustained abstinence in substance use disorder. Moeller, SJ., Paulus, MP.[2021]

In a study involving 12 male participants (6 with a history of crack cocaine use and 6 comparison subjects), functional MRI revealed significant brain activation in areas linked to craving when exposed to drug-related cues.

The study found a correlation between self-reported craving levels and activation in the anterior cingulate and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, suggesting that functional MRI can effectively investigate the brain's response to drug cues.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human brain activation during cue-induced cocaine craving. Maas, LC., Lukas, SE., Kaufman, MJ., et al.[2022]

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) shows promise as a treatment tool for addiction by helping individuals self-regulate brain activity related to cravings, particularly in substance users like nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine users.

While rtfMRI-nf has potential for clinical application, further research is necessary to refine study designs and establish its effectiveness as a practical treatment for addiction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neuromodulation of brain activation associated with addiction: A review of real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies. Martz, ME., Hart, T., Heitzeg, MM., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40816048/

High-resolution mapping of alcohol-related brain ... This study provides the first evidence from 7T MRI and MVPA that distinct functional connectivity profiles can discriminate levels of ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-alcoholism-4-2014-4d673

7T MRI for Studying Addiction What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Behavioral and Functional Task Development, MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging for studying addiction?

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4876042/

Brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of alcohol use ... The third section critically evaluates the influence of the most common substance use comorbidities in AUD – chronic cigarette smoking and illicit substance use ...

4. dovepress.com dovepress.com/updated-perspectives-on-the-neurobiology-of-substance-use-disorders-us-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-SAR

Substance use disorders using neuroimaging | SAR Neuroimaging studies suggest substance misuse affects executive function, reward, memory, and stress systems.

5. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02535702?tab=history&a=21

Record History | ver. 21: 2017-10-18 | NCT02535702 Abusing alcohol, drugs, and other substances can cause serious health problems. These substances also can affect brain function. Researchers want to learn more ...

6. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/4/527

Longitudinal Evaluation Using Preclinical 7T-Magnetic ... This study aimed to evaluate a rat model of FASD, in which alcohol was administered at progressively increasing doses during late pregnancy, ...

7. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/psyrad/article/doi/10.1093/psyrad/kkaf003/8063561

Bipolar Lithium Imaging Scan Study (BLISS): protocol for a 7T ... This is an observational study involving 80 adults with bipolar disorder who begin lithium as part of their regular treatment.