Development of Neuroimaging Methods to Assess the Neurobiology of Addiction
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
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. ...
Description
* Objectives: To improve sensitivity as well as spectral and spatiotemporal resolutions in magnetic resonance (MR) studies assessing structural, neurochemical, hemodynamic and electrophysiological changes that occur in the human brain during the resting state as well as those that occur in response to novel sensory, motor, cognitive or emotional stimulation paradigms. * Study population: We intend to complete studies in 128 healthy volunteers, (64 males and 64 females, 18 years or older). * Design: We will conduct pilot studies, each with up to 16 subjects, to optimize MR pulse sequences and/o…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Eighteen years or older. 2. Ability to provide written informed consent as determined by physical examination and verbal communication. Capacity to consent will be determined by those obtaining the informed consent. 3. Willingness to abstain from drug use on scheduled testing days. EXCLUSION CRITERIA 1. Positive urine pregnancy test in females. 2. 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 impla…
Interventions
- OtherIn vivo MRS
1H MR spectroscopy to assess brain metabolites.
- OtherfMRI
Three fMRI sessions to assess test-retest reliability of functional connectivity (FC) measures at rest and during task performance.
- OtherEEG/EOG
Electroencephalography or electrooculography (EEG/ EOG) sessions to record electrical activity of the brain or measure corneo-retinal standing potentials.
- OtherStimulation tasks
To be used in the context of fMRI to study blood-oxygenation-level- dependent responses in the brain to sensory stimulation.
- OtherNSPRD
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.
- OtherStructural MRI
High spatial MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess brain morphology and structural connectivity.
Location
- National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, Maryland