Clinical Research Directory

Neurocognitive and Genomic Predictors of Persistent Pain and Opioid Misuse After Spine Surgery

Having spine surgery and recovery is a vulnerable period when opioid naive patients may transition into long-term use of opioids, and when previously opioid tolerant patients may be at risk to continue towards long-term opioid use and dependence. However, little is known about risk for developing opioid misuse, taking opioids differently than indicated or prescribed, and later OUD. This study addresses the question of whether behavior, cognitive features, and genomic markers can predict misuse of opioids, persistent pain and disability in individuals after spine surgery. To determine if impulsivity, inhibitory control, drug choice, and/or cognitive distortions predict opioid misuse and disability in spine surgery patients with differential gene expression. This is a prospective observational longitudinal study characterizing behavioral phenotypes in adults undergoing spine surgery using both patient-reported survey measures, cognitive testing and blood sampling. Outcome measures include correlations between impulsivity measures, opioid drug choice responses and cognitive distortion scores, and opioid misuse with spine related disability, and gene expression counts.

Multicentre Evaluation of Spinal Bone Pathologies Using Zero Echo Time (ZTE) Pseudo-CT MRI Sequences: a Clinical Implementation Study

Innovative sequences known as "pseudo-CT"-such as Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) and Zero Echo Time (ZTE)-enable good visualization of mineralized bone. These new sequences appear to enhance MRI performance in the detection of fractures, spondylolysis, and other bone abnormalities. We would like to offer patients referred for a CT scan due to lumbar spine bone pathology the option of undergoing an MRI study, in order to compare the performance of the two techniques.