Improving MRI and EEG Techniques to Study Brain Function in Addiction Among Healthy Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how alcohol, drugs, and other substances affect brain function using magnetic resonance imaging MRI. The goal is to develop improved MRI methods that better capture brain changes in healthy adults aged 18 and older. The study includes multiple pilot sub-studies to optimize brain imaging techniques and functional MRI tasks related to addiction neurobiology. Participants will undergo a variety of brain imaging procedures including functional MRI fMRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy MRS, structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging DTI, and electroencephalography EEG. They will complete up to three MRI visits per sub-study, performing tasks such as attention, memory, decision-making, and response to sensory stimuli during scans. Some sessions involve monitoring brain electrical activity with electrodes on the scalp, and participants may receive mild shocks or visual cues during tasks. During the study, participants will be screened with medical history, physical exams, and laboratory tests. They will answer questions about drug use, psychiatric and family history, and their ability to undergo MRI. Researchers will measure brain activity signals, connectivity, behavior responses, and physiological parameters like heart rate and blood pressure. The study allows up to 20 MRI visits per year, with some visits including urine samples and questionnaires. The primary outcome is the amplitude and reliability of brain activity signals detected by fMRI.

Development Of Neuroimaging Methods To Assess The Neurobiology Of Addiction