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Yale scans brains of synthetic pot users to uncover addiction clues

NCT ID NCT03539575

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Yale University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This observational study at Yale uses PET brain scans to measure CB1 receptor availability in 15 people who currently use synthetic cannabinoids. Researchers want to see if these receptors are lower in users and how that relates to thinking skills and brain rhythms during withdrawal. No treatment is given; it is purely a measurement study.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
[11-C]OMAR (a radioactive tracer used for PET scans)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help explain how synthetic cannabinoids affect the brain and inform future treatments for dependence.
What could go wrong
This is a very small observational study (15 people) with no treatment being tested. It only measures brain changes, so it cannot directly lead to a new therapy.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 15 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

May 2018

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion: * Able to provide written consent * Age 18-55 * Current Synthetic Psychoactive Cannabinoids consumption Exclusion: * MRI metal exclusions and claustrophobia * Education completed is less than 12 years

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

drug dependence substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Drug dependence

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Connecticut Mental Health Center

    New Haven, Connecticut, 06519, United States

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