Development Of Neuroimaging Methods To Assess The Neurobiology Of Addiction

Summary

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.

...

Conditions

• Normal Physiology

Interventions

OTHER

In vivo MRS

1H MR spectroscopy to assess brain metabolites.

OTHER

fMRI

Three fMRI sessions to assess test-retest reliability of functional connectivity (FC) measures at rest and during task performance.

OTHER

EEG/EOG

Electroencephalography or electrooculography (EEG/ EOG) sessions to record electrical activity of the brain or measure corneo-retinal standing potentials.

OTHER

Stimulation tasks

To be used in the context of fMRI to study blood-oxygenation-level- dependent responses in the brain to sensory stimulation.

OTHER

NSPRD

To be used in conjunction with pupillometry in the context of fMRI to study blood-oxygenation-level-dependent responses to selective neurostimulation of pain fibers.

OTHER

Structural MRI

High spatial MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess brain morphology and structural connectivity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

  lead NIH

Principal Investigators

• Dardo G Tomasi, Ph.D. · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-06-28

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations