OPIOID USE

This study tests two ways of giving rewards to encourage people with opioid or cocaine use disorder to stay drug-free. 600 adults will use a smartphone app that tracks drug tests and offers incentives that either increase or decrease over time. The goal is to see which approach h…

This study aims to make opioid use disorder treatment more available in rural Georgia by having emergency room doctors connect patients to addiction specialists at the Georgia Poison Center through video calls. About 480 adults who come to the ER with opioid withdrawal or overdos…

This study tests whether a smartphone app can help people who are already on methadone for opioid use disorder also reduce their use of cocaine and opioids. About 240 adults who use both opioids and cocaine will either get standard methadone treatment or standard treatment plus t…

This study tests whether special alerts in electronic health records can help doctors prescribe opioids more safely for patients at high risk of overdose. About 1,350 adults who have taken opioids in the past year will take part. The goal is to see if these alerts lead to safer p…

This study tests two counseling approaches—Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement—to help people on methadone treatment quit smoking and reduce use of opioids and other drugs. Researchers will enroll 420 adults who are on methadone and smoke cigar…

This study tests a community program for youth aged 12-17 with opioid use disorder. It combines medication, counseling, and peer support to help them stay in treatment and stop using opioids. Researchers will track how many stay in treatment and how many days they go without opio…

This study tests a new way to prevent HIV among people who inject drugs and their friends or partners. Researchers will train some participants to become peer educators, teaching their social network about HIV testing, PrEP (a daily pill that prevents HIV), and treatment for opio…

This study tests whether a numbing injection around the cervix (paracervical block) given during vaginal hysterectomy for prolapse can lower pain and reduce the need for strong opioid painkillers after surgery. About 56 participants will receive either the numbing medicine or a p…

This study tests whether a non-invasive device that stimulates the vagus nerve can reduce withdrawal symptoms in people with opioid use disorder. About 103 participants will stay in the hospital for one week, receive the stimulation or a sham, and complete surveys and brain scans…

This study tests a new brain-wave monitor (MGRNOX) to guide painkiller use during gallbladder surgery. 112 adults will either get standard anesthesia or MGRNOX-guided care. The goal is to see if the monitor helps doctors use fewer opioids while still controlling pain.

This study looks at whether non-narcotic pain medications work as well as opioids after knee arthroscopy. About 148 adults having knee surgery will be randomly assigned to receive either opioids or non-opioids for pain. The goal is to see if non-opioids can provide similar pain r…

This study tests a new device that only releases opioid pain pills after a patient enters their pain level into a smartphone app. Half of the 30 spine surgery patients will use the device, while the other half get a standard pill bottle. The goal is to see if the device helps pat…

This study compares two pain-blocking techniques (paravertebral block and erector spinae plane block) in 60 adults undergoing lung surgery. The goal is to see which method better reduces the need for strong painkillers during and after surgery, using a special monitor to guide do…

This study tests whether using a virtual reality headset and scented necklace can lower pain and anxiety in people recovering from heart or lung surgery. Researchers want to see if this approach is a safe, drug-free alternative to opioids and anxiety medications. About 80 adults …

This study tests a short, tailored alcohol intervention for 60 adults who are taking buprenorphine for opioid use and also drink alcohol. The program aims to reduce drinking and improve treatment satisfaction. Researchers will check if the approach is practical and liked by parti…

This study tests whether a continuous pain-relief catheter placed in the thigh works better than a single injection to reduce opioid painkiller use after total knee replacement. About 64 adults scheduled for knee surgery will be randomly assigned to receive either the catheter or…

This study tests a device called VibraCool that uses cooling and vibration to reduce pain after ACL knee surgery. Researchers want to see if it helps people use fewer opioid painkillers. About 130 adults who had ACL reconstruction will use the device and report their pain levels …

This study tests whether adding a non-opioid painkiller (ketorolac) to standard opioid pain medicine can reduce the amount of opioids needed after preventive thigh bone surgery. The surgery is for patients with cancer that has spread to the thigh bone but who do not have a broken…

This study tests two behavioral programs designed to improve sleep in people who have both chronic pain and chronic insomnia and take prescribed opioids. Researchers want to see if better sleep can help reduce pain and lower opioid use. About 165 adults who are motivated to cut b…

This study tests whether a single dose of ketamine given during surgery can reduce pain, lower the need for opioids, and improve depression and PTSD symptoms in adults with serious orthopedic trauma. About 90 participants will be randomly assigned to receive ketamine or standard …

This study tests if applying a steroid during back surgery can lower pain and the need for strong painkillers. About 150 adults having a 1-2 level lumbar laminectomy will be randomly assigned to receive the steroid or not. Researchers will track opioid use, hospital stay length, …

This study tests if a non-invasive device that gently stimulates nerves in the ear can help reduce pain after lumbar spine surgery. The goal is to see if this approach can lower the need for opioid painkillers. About 20 adults having back surgery will be enrolled and their pain l…

This study tests a program for adults who have chronic pain and take opioids before surgery. The program includes pain education, therapy, and a mobile app to help patients reduce opioid use and manage pain. Researchers will compare how many patients successfully wean off opioids…

This study tests if a targeted back muscle injection (ESPB) works better than a standard skin injection for pain control after lumbar spinal fusion. Researchers will track pain levels and opioid use in 66 adults for two weeks after surgery. The goal is to see if the ESPB method l…

This study tests whether a pain management plan without opioids works just as well as one with opioids after a laparoscopic tubal sterilization (getting your tubes tied). About 120 women having this surgery will be randomly assigned to one of two pain control plans. The goal is t…

This study tests a small, disposable device placed on the ear that stimulates nerves to help manage pain after open abdominal or pelvic surgery. The goal is to see if it reduces the amount of opioid painkillers patients need during their hospital stay. About 286 adults having can…

This study tests whether a combination of two medicines, pregabalin and lofexidine, can reduce withdrawal symptoms in people with opioid use disorder who want to start a longer-acting treatment called naltrexone. About 150 adults will receive either the drug combo or a placebo fo…

This study tests whether giving a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Maxigesic) before surgery can lower the amount of strong opioid painkiller (remifentanil) needed during the operation. About 96 adults aged 19-60 having general anesthesia will take part. The goal is to…

This study tests whether delivering lidocaine (a numbing medicine) and steroids directly into an artery in the brain can relieve the intense headaches that follow a type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage. About 15 adults with mild-to-moderate bleeds will receive the infusi…

This study tests whether giving a standard, evidence-based opioid prescription after hand or forearm surgery reduces the number of unused pain pills while still controlling pain well. About 292 adults having same-day surgery at Toronto Western Hospital will either get the standar…

This study compares a nonopioid pain control regimen to standard opioid painkillers in 75 adults after surgery for a broken collarbone. The goal is to see if the nonopioid approach can manage pain just as well while avoiding opioid side effects. Participants are randomly assigned…

This study looks at whether using the Headspace mindfulness app before surgery or chemoradiation can help people with endometrial or cervical cancer use fewer opioid painkillers. About 120 participants will be randomly assigned to use the app or not. The goal is to see if mindful…

This study is testing whether testosterone replacement therapy can improve pain, energy, sexual function, and overall quality of life in men. It focuses on men with chronic back pain who have been taking opioid painkillers for at least six months and have developed low testostero…

This study looks at how long-term opioid therapy changes brain and spinal cord activity in women with chronic pain. Researchers will compare brain scans of women with chronic pain, those with opioid use, and healthy women. The goal is to find new ways to treat chronic pain withou…

This study uses brain scans to see if patterns of brain activity can predict whether someone recovering from opioid addiction will relapse. Researchers will follow 240 adults who recently started medication treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) for six months. The goal is to bet…

This study tests a new center in Seattle that offers short-term care (under 24 hours) for people who have had an opioid overdose. The center provides monitoring, medication to manage withdrawal, and connections to ongoing treatment. Researchers will compare outcomes like repeat o…

This study looks at how two different anesthesia methods affect stress during weight-loss surgery. About 70 adults having sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass will receive opioid-free anesthesia, some with and some without the gas desflurane. Researchers will measure stress hormo…

This study looks at how mindfulness meditation can help people with long-term low back pain who also take opioids. Researchers want to understand which brain changes are linked to pain relief. 150 adults aged 18-65 with chronic low back pain and at least 3 months of opioid use wi…

This study aims to create a personalized pain relief plan for women having a C-section. Researchers will look at genetic differences to find out who is more likely to have side effects from opioids, like breathing problems or nausea. The goal is to improve pain control while redu…