Understanding Opioid Use Disorder and Pain
This observational study aims to understand how the brain processes pain avoidance in people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Researchers want to see if individuals with OUD have trouble learning to avoid pain compared to healthy individuals, and what brain activities are involved. They will also explore if these brain activities can predict future opioid use. You can join if you are 21-60 years old and have moderate to severe OUD, confirmed by a urine test. Healthy individuals of the same age and sex can also participate. The study will involve brain scans and follow-up interviews for a year to track opioid use.
- Study design
- This is an observational study with 180 planned participants, comparing individuals with Opioid Use Disorder to healthy controls.
- What's involved
- You will perform a learning task inside an fMRI scanner. If you have OUD, you will also have follow-up interviews for 12 months to track opioid use.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Participants with Opioid Use Disorder will be followed for 12 months to determine opioid use.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Opioid Use Disorder and Pain
At a glance
Conditions
Where it's being run
1 sites across 1 statesStudy leadership
- Thang M Le, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Yale University
Who to contact
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What this trial measures
- Avoidance learning measureDay 1 (immediately after consent and clinical assessment)
Task performance measure of avoidance learning, quantified by response time and performance accuracy. Those with OUD are expected to have lower performance accuracy, lower learning rates, and higher response time during avoidance learning relative to healthy controls
- opioid useDuring the 12-month follow-up period
Quantity of opioid use following the baseline visit, measured by times use per week. Timeline follow back method will be used to assess the quantity of opioid use during the follow-up period. The investigators will examine this opioid use quantity in relation with avoidance learning deficits. The investigators expect greater avoidance dysfunction at baseline to predict higher weekly use of opioids
- Brain activity during avoidance learningDay 1 (immediately after consent and clinical assessment)
The brain activation magnitude associated with avoidance learning and avoidance learning dysfunction during the task performance. Brain activation will be computed by using contrast between avoidance learning vs. neutral conditions. Contrasts between two subject groups (i.e., OUD vs. HC) will also be examined. The investigators expect OUD patients to exhibit greater activations in the pain circuit during avoidance learning relative to healthy controls. Additionally, pain circuit activation will be assessed in association with opioid use severity during follow-up period.