Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University

This study looks at whether eating 1.5 ounces of pistachios every day for six months can lower inflammation and increase lean muscle in active adults aged 40 to 60. Participants are randomly assigned to eat pistachios or avoid them while keeping their usual diet and exercise. The…

This study tests whether gentle sound waves aimed at the brain can help manage anxiety. 44 adults with high or low anxiety will receive either real or fake ultrasound before facing stressful tasks. Researchers measure startle reflexes and heart rate to see if the treatment calms …

This study explores whether low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) can temporarily change brain activity to reduce chronic pain. About 80 adults with moderate-to-severe pain lasting at least 3 months will receive noninvasive brain stimulation and rate their pain during heat test…

This study tests whether gentle sound waves aimed at the brain can help people with chronic pain feel less discomfort. About 80 adults will get a noninvasive treatment called low-intensity focused ultrasound while their pain responses are measured. The goal is to see if this appr…

This study looks at whether gentle sound waves (low-intensity focused ultrasound) can temporarily change brain activity and affect memory. About 80 healthy adults will have brain scans and do memory tasks while their brain signals are monitored. The goal is to learn more about ho…

This study follows 733 adults with alcohol use disorder to learn what helps people recover and what leads to relapse. Researchers measure thinking, social life, and drinking patterns over time. The goal is to find new ways to prevent relapse and support long-term recovery.

This study follows 117 young adults (ages 23–28) who were part of a long-term project since their teenage years. Researchers will use brain scans and surveys to see if certain brain patterns are linked to smoking, drinking, and drug use. The goal is to understand, not treat, how …

This study looks at how menthol-flavored accessories like crush balls and filter tips affect smokers' experience and buying choices. 23 menthol cigarette smokers will try these accessories with non-menthol cigarettes and compare them to their usual brand. The goal is to understan…

This study explores two experimental methods—Episodic Future Thinking (imagining positive future events) and Low-intensity Focused Ultrasound (using sound waves on the brain)—to see if they can reduce pain and alcohol cravings in people with both chronic pain and alcohol use diso…

This study looks at how low-intensity focused ultrasound (a gentle sound wave) changes the way the brain processes pain. Researchers will use EEG and fMRI to measure brain activity before and after the ultrasound in 25 adults with somatic pain. The goal is to understand the relat…

This study was designed to test a new way of imaging the brain using ultrasound, called transcranial functional ultrasound (tFUS), and compare it to standard fMRI. The goal was to see if tFUS could detect brain activity changes as well as MRI. However, the study was withdrawn bef…

This study aimed to understand how a person's socioeconomic status (like income and education) influences their recovery from substance use disorder. Researchers planned to track participants' social standing, decision-making, and quality of life over time. However, the study was…