This study will investigate the mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral response to medications used for relapse prevention in opioid use disorder (opioid addiction, OUD), through investigation of the neural circuits underlying key cognition functions. The study will use previously validated cognitive probes, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and novel extended-release injectable preparations of opioid partial agonist buprenorphine and antagonist naltrexone, in OUD patients to explain the individual heterogeneity of OUD treatment response.
This proposal seeks to identify the neural circuits underlying the cognitive effects of medication assisted therapy (MAT) for OUD. The study will examine the neurocognitive effects of MAT by comparing two preparations with different pharmacodynamic properties (extended release buprenorphine and naltrexone, XRBUP, XRNTX) in three key domains (incentive salience, executive functioning, and emotion processing) using task functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In the 1st phase of the study, forty treatment-seeking OUD patients will be randomized to XRNTX or XRBUP groups after detoxification. Participants will undergo medication induction followed by monthly injections and urine toxicology monitoring for 120 days. Neuroimaging will follow completion of detoxification (pre-treatment) and 15 days after the second injection (on-treatment). The second study phase will extend the paradigm to an independent sample of 160 additional participants and test the explanatory value of MAT-induced changes in the neuroimaging signal in the classification of OUD treatment outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3
3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
fMRI Signal
Brain fMRI response to neurocognitive probes
Time frame: up to 90 days
Urine Toxicology: Opioid
Rapid semi-quantitative ELISA urine drug screen test for morphine, oxycodone and methadone, followed by (cut off levels): Methadone (MTD) Methadone 300 ng/mL Opiates (OPI 300) Morphine Morphine \*\*300 ng/mL Oxycodone (OXY) Oxycodone 100 ng/mL
Time frame: Through the study completion, up to 120 days
Anxiety
Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) (Hamilton, 1967). The HAM-A is a 15-minute, 14-item, clinician-administered instrument that measures current anxiety and changes in anxiety symptoms. Each item is scored on a scale of 0 (not present) to 4 (severe), with a total score range of 0-56, where \<17 indicates mild severity, 18-24 mild to moderate severity and 25-30 moderate to severe.
Time frame: Through the study completion, up to 120 days
Depression
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) (Hamilton, 1959 #2497). The HAM-D is a 20-minute, 24-item interview that measures the severity of depression and changes in depressive symptoms. HAM-D form includes 21 items, however the scoring is based on the first 17. Eight items are scored on a 5-point scale, ranging from 0 = not present to 4 = severe. Nine are scored from 0-2. The HAM-D score level corresponds to the clinical severity of depression as follows: 10 - 13 mild; 14-17 mild to moderate; \>17 moderate to severe.
Time frame: Through the study completion, up to 120 days
Non-opioid Urine Toxicology
Rapid semi-quantitative ELISA urine drug screen test for amphetamine/methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, phencyclidine, cannabinoids and cotinine, with cut off levels: Amphetamine/Methamphetamine 500/1000ng/ml Benzodiazepines Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) 200 ng/mL Cocaine Metabolite (Benzoylecgonine) EIA 150/300 ng/mL Cotinine EIA 250 ng/mL Phencyclidine EIA 25 ng/mL THC (Cannabinoids) EIA 20/50 ng/mL\*
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Time frame: Through the study completion, up to 120 days