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

Trial Summary

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

Research shows that using MRI, especially functional MRI, can help understand brain activity related to addiction. This imaging technique can identify brain areas involved in cravings and self-control, which may help in developing better treatments for addiction. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is 7T MRI safe for studying addiction in humans?

The research articles reviewed focus on the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in addiction studies, but they do not provide specific safety data for 7T MRI. Generally, MRI is considered safe for most people, but specific safety data for 7T MRI in addiction studies is not detailed in these articles. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

How does the 7T MRI treatment for addiction differ from other treatments?

The 7T MRI treatment for addiction is unique because it uses advanced imaging to study brain activity and structure, potentially offering insights into addiction mechanisms. Unlike traditional treatments, it focuses on understanding and modulating brain function through imaging, which could lead to more personalized and effective strategies for managing addiction. ^{1 5 7 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

Background: - Scientists know that alcohol use disorders affect brain structure. They want to know more about the effects of alcohol use disorders on a person s behavior. They want to develop tasks that can be done inside a scanner that can help them better understand these effects in later studies. Objective: - To develop tasks that investigate a person s behavior that can be used in later studies. Eligibility: * Inpatient participants of another study. They must be physically healthy right-handed adults 18-60 years old. * Healthy right-handed volunteers 18-65 years old. Design: * Participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will have an EKG to record heart activity. They will give blood and urine samples and have a psychiatric interview. * Participants will have between one and three visits. * Participants will be asked about their alcohol drinking to see if they have an alcohol use disorder. * Participants will complete one of three simple computerized tasks either inside the magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) scanner or outside of it. * The MRI scanner takes pictures of the brain. The scanner is a metal cylinder. Participants lie on a table that can slide in and out of the cylinder. They will be in the scanner for about 60 minutes. They may have to lie still for up to 20 minutes. The scanner makes loud knocking noises, but they will get earplugs.

Research Team

Abdolreza Momenan, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Eligibility Criteria

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

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

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

Findings from Research

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]

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]

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 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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

References

1. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Neuromodulation of brain activation associated with addiction: A review of real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies. [2023]

2. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The use of brain imaging to elucidate neural circuit changes in cocaine addiction. [2021]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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

4. China pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain of college students with internet addiction]. [2022]

5. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional neuroimaging for addiction medicine: From mechanisms to practical considerations. [2017]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cue-elicited craving in heroin addicts at different abstinent time: an fMRI pilot study. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human brain activation during cue-induced cocaine craving. [2022]

8. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The D2 antagonist sulpiride modulates the neural processing of both rewarding and aversive stimuli in healthy volunteers. [2022]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Activation of prefrontal cortex and anterior thalamus in alcoholic subjects on exposure to alcohol-specific cues. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A hypo-status in drug-dependent brain revealed by multi-modal MRI. [2022]