Actively Recruiting
PET Imaging of Phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) in Alcohol Use Disorder
Led by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · Updated on 2026-04-24
30
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
201 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Background: People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) also often have bouts of depression called major depressive episodes (MDEs). People having MDEs have been found to have low levels of a protein called PDE4B in the brain. Researchers want to find out if people with AUD also have low levels of PDE4B. This research may help lead to better treatments for AUD. Objective: To find out (1) if PDE4B levels are lower in people who are withdrawing from AUD and (2) if their PDE4B levels go up after they abstain from alcohol for 3 to 4 weeks. Eligibility: Adults aged 18 to 70 years with AUD. They must be enrolled in protocol 14-AA-0181. Design: Participants enrolled in protocol 14-AA-0181 will stay in the clinic for 3 to 4 weeks for alcohol withdrawal. During this stay, they will have some added procedures for the current study. Within the first week, participants will have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan of the brain. A needle will be used to guide a thin plastic tube (catheter) into a vein in one arm. An experimental substance called a radioactive tracer will be injected through the catheter. This tracer binds to PDE4B and makes it easier to see the protein in the brain. For the scan, participants will lie on a table that slides into a doughnut-shaped machine. Participants will have a second PET scan toward the end of their stay in the clinic. Participants may also have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain. They will lie on a bed that slides into a tube....
CONDITIONS
Official Title
PET Imaging of Phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) in Alcohol Use Disorder
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age 18 to 70 years
- Willingness to complete the study including MRI tests
- Ability to understand and agree to all required tests and sign informed consent
- Radial artery pulse checked with adequate ulnar collateral flow and no metal/foreign objects in wrists
- Agreement to follow lifestyle considerations
- Enrollment in protocol 14-AA-0181
You will not qualify if you...
- Significant lab abnormalities beyond those expected during alcohol withdrawal (including CBC and acute care panel)
- Clinically significant EKG abnormalities
- Serious suicidal or homicidal risk as judged by investigators
- Breath alcohol level above 0.08
- Unstable medical conditions making participation unsafe (e.g., active infection, untreated malignancy)
- Use of antidepressants or antipsychotics within the past week or during hospital admission
- HIV infection
- Pregnancy
- Recent research-related radiation exposure exceeding allowable limits
- Inability to lie flat and still for two hours, including claustrophobia or excessive weight
- Inability to have MRI due to implants, metal fragments, or other contraindications
- Being NIMH staff or NIH employee subordinate, relative, or co-worker of investigators
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
T
Tara N Turon, C.R.N.P.
CONTACT
R
Robert B Innis, M.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Number of Arms
1
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