Imaging Biomarker for Addiction Treatment Outcome
Background: Many people suffer from drug addiction. But currently, treatments are not very effective. One group of patients in this study are enrolled in addiction treatment through physician health programs (PHPs). About 70% of these patients are able to stop using drugs for extended periods of time. By studying this specific group of patients, researchers want to understand the difference between those who may or may not respond to treatment. They want to study the brain while people do thinking and feeling tasks and when they relax. They will study brain chemicals, a stress hormone, and certain genes. The results may help them understand the brain basis for addiction and recovery. Objectives: To use brain imaging to find differences between people with and without drug addiction. To see if these differences help predict addiction. Eligibility: Healthy, right-handed adults ages 21-65, enrolled in a physician health program or those with no history of addiction and with at least 16 years of education Design: Participants enrolled in a PHP will be screened under this study and participants with no history of addiction will be screened under another study. At the study visit, participants will: Have a routine check-up, including tests for pregnancy, drugs, and alcohol. Give 11 blood samples. Rate their cravings. Test their frustration with stressful situations by responding to questions on a screen. Practice the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasks: Shock task. Two electrodes placed on a foot will deliver brief, low-strength electrical shocks that get gradually stronger, but not painful. Participants will see drug or neutral images. They will rate their discomfort. Thinking tasks. Participants will answer questions about pictures, numbers, and money. They will press buttons in response to things they see. Do the MRI tasks in 2 sessions (morning and afternoon) in the scanner. Participants will lie in an MRI machine which will take pictures of the brain while doing these tasks. Some participants will repeat the visit twice over a year at set intervals. Meals will be provided, and visits will include meal breaks and smoking breaks for those who smoke.
Start: July 2019