192 Participants Needed

Neuroimaging Techniques Development Related to Addiction

Recruiting at 1 trial location
DG
Overseen ByDardo G Tomasi, Ph.D.
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Background: Abusing alcohol, drugs, and other substances can cause serious health problems. These substances also can affect brain function. Researchers want to learn more about brain function by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the brain. Objective: To develop new ways to use MRI to study the brain. Eligibility: Healthy people 18 years of age or older. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. They will answer questions about their drug use and psychiatric history. They will be asked about family history of alcoholism or drug abuse. Participants will answer questions to see if they can participate in MRI. Participants will have MRI scans. The scanner is a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. Participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of the cylinder. A device called a coil may be placed over the head. Each sub-study will include up to 3 different MRI visits. Participants can be in multiple sub-studies. But they can have only 1 MRI per week and 20 per year. During MRI visits, participants may have urine collected. They may get another MRI questionnaire. Participants may have a clinical MRI brain scan. This may show physical problems in the brain. During some scans, participants may perform simple movement, memory, and thinking tasks. Participants may be connected to a machine to monitor brain activity during the scan. Small metal electrodes will be placed on the scalp. A gel will be placed in the space between the electrodes and the scalp. ...

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires that you do not take any psychoactive drugs (medications that affect your mind, emotions, or behavior) like Celexa, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, or stimulants like Adderall, Dexedrine, and Ritalin. If you are taking these medications, you would need to stop before participating.

What data supports the effectiveness of this treatment for addiction?

Research shows that neuroimaging techniques like MRI and fMRI can detect brain changes related to substance abuse, helping us understand how addiction affects the brain. These techniques have been used to study brain chemistry and function, offering insights into the mechanisms of addiction and potential therapeutic applications.12345

Is neuroimaging safe for humans?

Neuroimaging techniques like MRI and fMRI are generally considered safe for humans. They are non-invasive and do not involve radiation, making them widely used in both research and clinical settings to study brain function and structure.12678

How does this treatment for addiction differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it uses advanced neuroimaging techniques like MRI and spectroscopy to study brain changes related to addiction, offering insights into the brain's structure and function that other treatments do not provide. These techniques can help identify subtle brain changes and drug reinforcement mechanisms, potentially leading to more targeted and effective interventions.12349

Research Team

DG

Dardo G Tomasi, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for healthy adults over 18 who can consent to the study, understand English, and agree not to use drugs on test days. It's not for pregnant women, those over 550 lbs, people with certain metal objects in their body or claustrophobia, anyone with serious psychiatric disorders or neurological conditions like MS or Parkinson's Disease.

Inclusion Criteria

You are willing to abstain from drug use on scheduled testing days.
I am 18 years old or older.
I am 18 years old or older.
See 3 more

Exclusion Criteria

Presence of ferromagnetic objects in the body that are contraindicated for MRI of the head (including but not limited to pacemakers or other implanted electrical devices, brain stimulators, some types of dental implants, aneurysm clips, metallic prostheses, permanent eyeliner, implanted delivery pump, or shrapnel fragments) or fear of enclosed spaces as determined by the self-report checklist
I have not binge drunk every month for the last 10 years.
I am currently taking prescribed mental health or stimulant medications, but not for sleep.
See 7 more

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks
1 visit (in-person)

MRI Visits

Participants undergo MRI scans to assess brain function, with tasks performed during scans

Varies per sub-study
Up to 3 visits per sub-study

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after MRI sessions

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • EEG/EOG
  • fMRI
  • In vivo MRS
  • NSPRD
  • sMRI
  • Stimulation tasks
  • Structural MRI
Trial OverviewThe study aims to develop new MRI techniques to better understand brain function related to addiction. Participants will undergo various types of MRI scans while performing simple tasks and may be involved in multiple sub-studies but limited to one MRI per week and twenty per year.
Participant Groups
9Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Spinner Task and MID Task (monetary incentive delay task)Experimental Treatment3 Interventions
The Spinner task requires the subject to participate in a game of chance while lying in the MRI scanner. Subjects will be asked to respond by pressing a button. The MID task is a reaction time task. The MID Task tests how quickly a subject can press a button to hit a target on the screen in front of them. If the subject presses the button as soon as the target appears, the subject will score points. Subjects should try to score as many points as you can.
Group II: Self-control TaskExperimental Treatment4 Interventions
During the MRI scan, subjects will do a task that requires close concentration. Subjects will be asked to respond quickly to images on the computer screen, during which they will hear distracting noises. The subject will be able to remove the distraction in order to complete the task. During some sub-study sessions, subjects will start with no money ($0) and may be able to earn up to $40 if they do not remove the distraction. At other sub-study sessions, subjects will start with $40 and may lose between 25 to $1 each time they remove the distraction. Subjects cannot lose more than $40 in these sessions. Compensation for this sub-study is up to $40 per session, depending on their performance.
Group III: Respiratory Challenge (RC) TaskExperimental Treatment4 Interventions
Participants will be visually instructed to take a brief deep breath (inhale) and release the breath (exhale). They will inhale and exhale one more time with visual cues at specific times (60 seconds, 120 seconds, 180 seconds, 240 seconds, etc. with successive 60 seconds intervals). A black cross will remain centered on a grey slide during the normal respiration periods. To signal the RC periods, the slide will change color to yellow READY slide, then to green BREATHE IN slide, then to blue BREATHE OUT slide. The sequence will repeat one more time to Breath In and Breath Out and then finally go back to the yellow Breathe Normally slide. The instruction words will be written on the slides. Each slide will be shown for 3 seconds. The task will take a total of 15 minutes (total of 900 seconds with 14 RC periods).
Group IV: Reasoning TaskExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Subjects will identify changes in various shapes when they are displayed on the screen in front of them. Some changes of the shapes may be that they were rotated, enlarged, or multiplied. Subjects will choose the changes in the shapes by pressing a button.
Group V: NSPRD TaskExperimental Treatment4 Interventions
During the MRI scan, subjects will get small electric shocks through electrodes placed on one of their toes. The shocks feel like an elastic band snapping against the skin. Right after a shock, subjects will see a dot on the computer screen. Subejcts will press a button to rate the intensity of the shock.
Group VI: Motivational Reward TaskExperimental Treatment4 Interventions
Subjects will make a choice among some items presented on the screen in front of them. One of the items will be the winner item. The other items will be loser items. Each time a subject is presented with various items, they will choose the item they think is the winner item. Subjects will start with bonus points at the beginning of the task, so they can add more points to this amount as they continue to choose winner items.
Group VII: Delay Discounting TaskExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Subjects will be asked to imagine whether they would receive money now or money later (in the future). The future money option may be several days from now or as far out as 6 weeks from now. For example, a s ubject may see a $100 option in 6 weeks or a $10 option now. Subjects will not receive actual money for participation in this task
Group VIII: Cue Reactivity TaskExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
In this task subjects will view pictures of various items on the screen in front of them. Subjects will rate the items by how much they would like to have them. Subjects will choose how much they want the item by pressing a button.
Group IX: Attentional Bias TaskExperimental Treatment3 Interventions
Subjects will briefly see two images side by side on a screen. Immediately after, a dot appears on the left or on the right. The subjects task is to press the left or right button, following the position of the image (left or right). Images can contain food-related items. We will also show short 1-minute food-related movies. Subjects will be asked to fast for three hours before this task begins.

Find a Clinic Near You

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

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy are effective tools for detecting brain anatomical changes linked to substance abuse, including alcohol, stimulants, and narcotics.
Functional MRI and spectroscopy can identify subtle biochemical and functional changes in the brain, providing insights into the mechanisms of drug reinforcement and the effects of substance abuse on living tissues.
Magnetic Resonance Studies of Substance Abuse.Kaufman, MJ., Levin, JM., Christensen, JD., et al.[2019]
Functional neuroimaging techniques like fMRI and 1H-MRS reveal distinct brain activation patterns in drug abusers, which can vary based on the type of drug, the specific task, and the individual's gender.
1H-MRS findings indicate that drug abusers, particularly those dependent on cigarettes, cocaine, and alcohol, typically show lower levels of N-acetylaspartate and higher levels of creatine in their brains, suggesting metabolic changes associated with addiction.
Functional magnetic resonance and spectroscopy in drug and substance abuse.Magalhaes, AC.[2019]
Neuroimaging techniques, such as SPECT, PET, fMRI, and MRS, have significantly enhanced our understanding of the brain changes associated with substance abuse disorders, moving beyond just structural imaging to explore functional aspects.
These techniques have not only helped characterize the pharmacology of abused substances but also revealed important insights into the neuropsychiatric mechanisms underlying substance abuse, including changes in cerebral metabolism.
[Neuroimaging in substance abuse disorders].de Mendelssohn, A., Kasper, S., Tauscher, J.[2019]

References

Magnetic Resonance Studies of Substance Abuse. [2019]
Functional magnetic resonance and spectroscopy in drug and substance abuse. [2019]
[Neuroimaging in substance abuse disorders]. [2019]
Use of non-invasive neuroradiological methods in research of psychoactive drugs. [2007]
Imaging the addicted human brain. [2019]
Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy assessment of brain function in experimental animals and man. [2017]
Imaging cocaine-induced changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system of conscious rats. [2018]
Real-time animal functional magnetic resonance imaging and its application to neuropharmacological studies. [2021]
The neurobiology of addiction: the perspective from magnetic resonance imaging present and future. [2022]