Back to search results

Craving and Decision-Making Study

This study is looking at how craving affects the decisions people make, especially regarding things they strongly desire, like drugs or certain foods. Researchers want to understand the brain processes behind these decisions. You might be able to join if you are at least 18 years old and can understand and follow study instructions. The study uses different audio-visual stimuli, such as images of neutral objects, drug paraphernalia, or food, to see how these affect your willingness to pay for everyday items or snacks. The main goals are to measure how much you're willing to pay for items and to observe your brain activity using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) during these decisions. The current status of the study is unclear, and it plans to enroll 160 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 160 participants. The phase of the study is not specified.
What's involved
You would need to follow study requirements, provide written informed consent, and complete study procedures. This includes viewing various audio-visual stimuli and making decisions during tasks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Willingness-to-pay and fMRI-BOLD activity are measured during the task, but no follow-up period is specified.

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

NCT06440577

Craving & Decision-Making

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalBasic science
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
~160 participants
Updated 2026-06-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Audio-visual stimuli (Neutral-Relaxing)Audio-visual stimuli (Drug)Audio-visual stimuli (Non-Food)Audio-visual stimuli (Food)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Willingness-to-pay
Measured over during the task
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Decision Making

Explore related trials

Opioid Use Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
New Jersey1

Study leadership

  • Anna Konova, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Who to contact

Anna Konova, PhD
[email protected]
732-235-4335
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

At least 18 years of age
Willingness to follow study requirements, as evidenced by an ability to provide written informed consent and read, understand, and complete the study procedures
Minimum of 6th grade reading level
Primary diagnosis of OUD encompassing heroin and/or painkiller use
Receiving medications for OUD treatment on an outpatient basis
At least 12-month history of opioid use

Exclusion

Unable to speak or read English
Active psychosis or mania
Current or past schizophrenia diagnosis
History of intellectual disability or developmental or neurological disorder, seizures or epilepsy, or loss consciousness lasting more than 30 minutes
Severe medical conditions requiring hospitalization or that, in the opinion of the study staff could compromise study participation
MRI contraindications (claustrophobia, nonremovable piercings, certain metal in the body etc.) or pregnancy
Positive urine drug screen
Current or past problematic substance use other than nicotine, and alcohol abuse confined to college or military service
Current or past bipolar disorder diagnosis
Use of central nervous system medications within the past 6 weeks (e.g., antidepressants, Ritalin)

What this trial measures

  • Willingness-to-payduring the task

    The amount that a participant would be willing to pay for different available choice options. This is measured during the decision-making tasks in which participants are shown images of consumer items or snack foods and report how much they would be willing to pay to have the different items in that moment.

  • fMRI-BOLD activity measured during willingness-to-pay decisionsduring the task

    Functional MRI data will be analyzed to measure changes in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in specific regions of interest based on prior research (ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and insula) as participants make willingness-to-pay decisions during each task.