Clinical Research Directory

Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain

This project examines, in chronic pain, the mechanisms of immersive virtual reality compared to the mechanisms of placebo hypoalgesia. The potential of developing new non-pharmacological premises for low-risk interventions for pain management is high.

Neural Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain (VR TMD EEG)

This project examines, in chronic pain, the mechanisms of immersive virtual reality compared to the mechanisms of placebo hypoalgesia. The potential of developing new non-pharmacological premises for low-risk interventions for pain management is high.

Effects of 8 Weeks of Turmeric Ingestion on Physiology and Wellbeing in Healthy Older Adults

Curcumin (a bioactive compound found in turmeric) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and there is evidence to suggest that it may produce improvements in quality of life and markers of health in humans with various conditions. To date, the research has often focussed on the effects of curcumin in human participants with a particular condition. However, turmeric contains hundreds of other bioactive compounds (including other curcuminoids and essential oils) and may be able to benefit a wide range of older adults. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of twice daily consumption of a turmeric beverage for 8-weeks on the physiology and wellbeing of older adults (versus placebo).

Suvorexant as an Adjunct to Buprenorphine in Persons Who Use Fentanyl

This is a 4-week, randomized-controlled trial of suvorexant vs placebo in persons with opioid use disorder who have recent fentanyl exposure. Participants will first undergo a 5-day residential phase wherein participants are stabilized on sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone, followed by a 3-week outpatient phase wherein participants are maintained on sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone and transitioned to extended-release buprenorphine).

Neural Correlates of Hypoalgesia Driven by Observation

Placebo effects held an ambivalent place in health care for at least two centuries. On the one hand, placebos are traditionally used as controls in clinical trials to correct for biases and the placebo response is viewed as an effect to be factored out in order to isolate and accurately measure the effects of the treatment. On the other hand, there is scientific evidence that placebo effects represent fascinating psychoneurobiological events involving the contribution of distinct central nervous as well as peripheral physiological mechanisms that influence pain perception and clinical pain symptoms and substantially modulate the response to pain therapeutics. Therefore, placebo effects have shifted from being a challenge for clinical trials to a resource to trigger the reduction of pain based on endogenous mechanisms that can be activated in the brain to promote hypolagesia, self-healing, and well-being. This is relevant in acute pain settings given that chronic opioid users die within approximately 2.5 years of being prescribed their first opioid medication to treat acute pain. The overall hypothesis is that observational learning influences neural pain modulation and cognition systems, including processes associated with mentalizing (the ability to cognitively understand mental states of others), empathy (the ability to share an emotional experience), and expectancy (the anticipation of a benefit). The objective is to determine the brain mechanisms of observationally-induced analgesia using brain mapping approaches that target changes in blood oxygenation and oscillatory activity in the brain, thus enabling investigators to draw inferences about the localization and extent of neurobiological activation underlying hypoalgesia driven by observation. Therefore, the investigators designed innovative experiments using pharmacological fMRI, EEG, and combined EEG-fMRI measurements.

Effects of Low-intensity Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Major Depressive Disorder, and on 5-hydroxyindoleacetic Acid and Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels

The goal of this randomised clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on major depressive disorder (MDD) and on the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). TMS works to treat MDD by using low-intensity magnetic fields to modulate certain areas of the brain, activating them which can help improve the mood of those suffering from the disorder. Final metabolites of serotonin such as 5-HIAA and growth factors such as BDNF will also be studied before starting the intervention and at the end to check if there is a significant change in their concentration. Likewise, its safety will be evaluated by monitoring the symptoms that they present at the end of the intervention and one month later. The main questions that are intended to be answered are: * Does low-intensity TMS reduce depressive symptoms in patients with MDD? * Does low-intensity TMS significantly change the initial and final concentrations of 5-HIAA and BDNF? * What adverse effects might patients who are exposed to low-intensity TMS experience? The researchers will compare low-intensity and accelerated TMS with sham TMS to see if low-intensity TMS works to treat MDD. Participants: * Will undergo an initial clinical assessment to confirm the disorder, comorbidities, and general health status. * A 5 mL blood sample will be taken before starting the intervention. * Low-intensity TMS will be applied for 4 days, 5 daily sessions of 200 s with 10-minute intersession intervals at a field intensity of 2-4 milliTesla (mT) and frequency of 50 Hz in theta bursts. Symptoms will be monitored daily. * A 5 mL blood sample will be taken at the end of the intervention and general health status clinimetrics will be reapplied.

Understanding How Opioids Affect the Experiential and Neural Signatures of Social Experiences

The study is a randomized, placebo-controlled design with the opioid antagonist, oral naltrexone. Following random assignment, participants will take 50mg of naltrexone or placebo once a day for 7 days. On days 1 - 7, participants complete reports of their feelings of social connection and mood in order to assess more naturalistic feelings in response to opportunities for social connection outside of the laboratory setting. Additionally, at the end of each day, they complete a physical symptoms questionnaire. On the 7th day, participants will come to the SDSU MRI scanning facility to complete tasks designed to elicit feelings of social connection in the fMRI scanner. After the scan, feelings in response to the scanner tasks will be collected.