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Neuromodulation and Cognitive Training for Opioid Use Disorder

This study is testing a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to help treat opioid use disorder. tDCS uses a weak electrical current to change brain activity, which may help reduce cravings and improve decision-making. Researchers want to see if tDCS can change how different parts of the brain communicate, which could help people avoid relapse. You may be able to join if you are 18-60 years old, have opioid use disorder, and have been abstinent for 1-2 weeks. The study aims to enroll 30 participants, but its current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 30 participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either tDCS or a sham (inactive) tDCS.
What's involved
You would undergo five sessions of tDCS over five days. Your brain activity will be measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at the beginning and after one week.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your brain activity will be measured again one week after the initial assessment to see any changes.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT03773523

Neuromodulation and Cognitive Training in Opioid Use Disorder

Active, Not Recruiting
NAAges 18–60InterventionalDevice feasibility
University of Minnesota
~30 participants
Updated 2026-06-22 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in brain functional connectivity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging
Measured over Change between baseline and 1-week follow-up

Conditions

Opioid-use Disorder
Opioid Dependence
Opioid Abuse

Explore related trials

Opioid Use Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Minnesota1

Study leadership

  • Jazmin Y Camchong, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Minnesota
  • Kelvin O Lim, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Minnesota

Who to contact

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

20 abstinent individuals (18-60 years old; 1-2 weeks of abstinence) who meet DSM-V criteria for opioid use disorder (OUD) will be recruited from the Lodging Plus Program, part of University of Minnesota Medical Center
This 28-day program provides a supervised environment to treat individuals with OUD in which patients receive random drug screenings. Lodging Plus has 50 beds and admits an average of 20 patients per week and about 50% of patients admitted have a diagnosis of opioid use disorder.
Ability to provide written consent and comply with study procedures, meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) diagnostic criteria for OUD. Subjects may have current comorbid drug use, but their primary substance use disorder diagnosis needs to be based on opioid use. Subjects must have the intention to remain in the Lodging Plus program (4 weeks) until the end of the intervention portion of the study. Vulnerable populations will not be included.

Exclusion

Any medical condition or treatment with neurological sequelae (i.e. stroke, tumor, loss of consciousness\>30 min, HIV)
A head injury resulting in a skull fracture or a loss of consciousness exceeding 30 minutes (i.e., moderate or severe TBI)
Any contraindications for tDCS or MRI scanning (tDCS contraindication: history of seizures; MRI contraindications; metal implants, pacemakers or any other implanted electrical device, injury with metal, braces, dental implants, non-removable body piercings, pregnancy, breathing or moving disorder)
DSM-V criteria for psychiatric disorder, may have a lifetime diagnosis of depression
Presence of a condition that would render study measures difficult or impossible to administer or interpret
Age outside the range of 18 to 60
Primary current substance use disorder diagnosis on a substance other than opioid except for caffeine or nicotine
Clinical evidence for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Nicotine use will be recorded.

What this trial measures

  • Change in brain functional connectivity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imagingChange between baseline and 1-week follow-up

    Investigators will measure magnitude of functional connectivity in between nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) both at baseline and at follow-up and compare the magnitude of change between the active-tDCS and sham-tDCS groups.