Opioid Use Clinical Trials

The overall goal of this project is to collect initial human data on the effects of novel compounds on safety (interactions with an opioid drug, e.g., buprenorphine) and early efficacy signals (subjective effects on negative affect, craving, and opioid withdrawal) in OUD subjects currently in MOUD treatment with buprenorphine. Read Less

This study will use a randomized controlled design to test whether medical marijuana use by adults on high-dose chronic opioid therapy (COT) for chronic non-cancer pain is associated with reduced opioid dose and improved pain intensity and interference when added to a 24-week behavioral intervention (POTS). Read Less

The primary goals of this study are to examine 1) marijuana modulation of oxycodone self-administration and 2) oxycodone modulation of marijuana self-administration, under controlled conditions and across a range of doses for each drug. Read Less

Patients with chronic pain who use opioids appear to be at increased risk for breathing issues during sleep, termed sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Treatment of SDB often consists of use of a device during sleep that provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) via a mask interface. However, this device is not effective or tolerated in all individuals. The goal of this study is to examine whether a medication called acetazolamide can improve SDB, as an alternative to CPAP treatment. The investigators will measure the improvement in SDB, as well as any change in symptoms, during a 1 week treatment with acetazolamide compared with 1 week of placebo (sugar pill). This study will help to provide data for longer term studies of treatment for SDB in patients who use opioids. Read Less

The Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System for Youths and Adolescents (Young HEROES) is a community-based research program integrating assertive outreach, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), behavioral counseling, and peer recovery support. The objective is to compare differences in engagement and retention in treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder. The investigators also intend to understand the prevalence of opioid overdoses and OUD among youth in Houston. Read Less

The main goal of this current study is to develop and optimize methods for increasing access to, uptake of, and engagement in MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) among communities of color. Read Less

This hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial will evaluate Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) for patients with opioid use disorder receiving methadone treatment (MT). The investigators will also assess barriers and facilitators to integrating MORE into methadone treatment, and evaluate the impact of a sustainable train-the-trainer model on provider burden, intervention fidelity, intervention engagement, and outcomes. Participants will be assigned to a higher intensity MORE implementation strategy, a minimal intensity implementation strategy consisting of a simple, scripted mindfulness practice (SMP) extracted from the MORE treatment manual with minimal training and feedback and no supervision, or methadone treatment as usual (TAU). We aim to: Examine barriers and facilitators to the implementation of MORE and SMP in MT and evaluate strategies for optimizing training, fidelity, and engagement. Evaluate the effectiveness and treatment fidelity of a higher intensity MORE implementation strategy versus a lower intensity, scripted mindfulness practice (SMP) implementation strategy as an adjunct to methadone TAU or methadone TAU, only. Outcomes include opioid and other drug use, craving, MT discontinuation, depression, anxiety, and physical pain (secondary outcomes) than patients randomized to TAU. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to 1) examine barriers and facilitators to implementation of MI and MORE for polysubstance use and evaluate strategies for optimizing training, fidelity, and clinic uptake, and 2) evaluate patient outcomes related to the effectiveness of MORE decreasing opioid, tobacco, and other drug use. Read Less

The purpose of this research is to measure the extent of inflammation in the brain between different groups of participants using a radioactive tracer called [18F]NOS. A radioactive tracer is a type of imaging drug that is labeled with a radioactive tag and injected into the body. This study will see how the tracer is taken up in the brain using an imaging scan called Positron Emission Tomography / Computed Tomography (PET/CT). Participants will undergo approximately 60 minutes of dynamic scanning of the brain starting at approximately the time of injection of [18F]NOS. Participants are required to have a brain MRI performed within 1 year prior to study enrollment, or if the subject has not had a brain MRI that is deemed acceptable for use for this study they will be asked to undergo a research brain MRI after they have consented for this study. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effects of an app to reduce opioid and cocaine use when layered atop methadone treatment as usual among people using both opioids and cocaine. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do people who use the app remain in methadone treatment longer than people who receive only treatment as usual? Do people who use the app report using opioids and/or cocaine less often, and do they report better improvements in their quality of life, than people who receive only treatment as usual? Does using the app more lead to better methadone treatment outcomes among people using the app? Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive either the app or methadone treatment as usual. Participants randomly assigned to the treatment as usual group will receive access to methadone services as normally provided, including scheduled access to medications, information about the consequences of opioid and other drug use, and any onsite services (including group based interventions and/or 12-step programs). Those randomized into the app-using group will receive all the same services as the treatment as usual group, but will also be given a phone with the app already installed, or will have the app installed on their existing phone if they already have one. At random times throughout the week, the app will ask participants to submit drug tests for opioids and cocaine, which participants will be able to do remotely without having to physically "go to" a testing site. For each test that demonstrates the participant hasn't used opioids or cocaine, the participant will be rewarded with money directly into a debit card. Participants will also be able to earn rewards for picking up treatment-related medications, attending onsite appointments, and other treatment-related activities. Read Less

In a recent study, researchers let patients choose what medications to go home with after endocrine surgery. This has not been done in outpatient breast surgery, though several institutions have moved towards avoiding opioids altogether after breast surgery. These institutions only prescribed rescue opioids upon request. The aim of this study is to compare a similar "opt-in" protocol for narcotics to usual care (where patients are routinely discharged with opioids) for outpatient breast surgery. This study will be designed as a randomized, controlled trial. When adult patients consent for outpatient breast surgery, the patients will be asked to participate in the study. Patients who are currently using narcotics would be excluded. The investigators would then randomize participants to the "opt-in" protocol versus being provided with a standard opioid prescription after surgery. Patients in the opt-in protocol will be recommended a pain treatment regimen with over-the-counter medications, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These patients will be reassured that if their pain is uncontrolled after discharge, a narcotic prescription will be called in to their pharmacy if requested. The investigators will assess patient pain scores and medication use in the recovery area using the electronic medical record. The investigators will collect data on patient pain scores and medication use after discharge on a daily basis via phone call or electronically transmitted survey. The investigators will also evaluate patients at the time of their follow-up visits. Any patient phone calls will be routed to study personnel who will fill narcotic prescription requests if requested. Finally, among patients who do receive an opioid prescription, the investigators will track their opioid consumption. Read Less

The overarching goal of this project is to increase the availability of OUD treatment in rural counties in the state of Georgia by using Emergency Department (ED)-based telehealth strategies to initiate MOUD and connect patients to treatment. The investigators will implement a novel collaboration between rural EDs, medical toxicologists at the Georgia Poison Center (GPC), peer recovery coaches (PRCs) and RCOs throughout Georgia to bridge the gap between OUD treatment need in rural EDs and specialty physician availability at the GPC. Research activities will be conducted during two broad phases, at three rural EDs in Georgia: planning and implementation. During the planning phase, aggregate data will be obtained to determine each ED's existing practices treating patients with OUD and opioid withdrawal. During the implementation phase, the researchers will prospectively study a poison center OUD consultation and PRC intervention as it is rolled out at each site, collecting participant-level data. Sites will be rolled into the implementation phase in a stepped-wedge fashion, so there will be times when some sites are in the planning phase while others are in the implementation phase. Read Less