New brain scans could unlock secrets of drug addiction

NCT ID NCT01036685

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study aims to create and improve cognitive tasks used during functional MRI scans to better understand how drugs affect the brain. It involves 525 healthy volunteers, including both drug users and non-users, aged 18 to 65. Participants perform tasks like memory tests or reaction-time games while in an MRI machine. The goal is to develop reliable tools for future addiction research, not to test a treatment.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to

If successful, this could lead to better brain tests for studying addiction, helping researchers develop new treatments for drug abuse.

What could go wrong

This is a basic development study, not a treatment trial. The tasks may not reliably measure brain activity, and results may not directly lead to new therapies.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

nicotine dependence substance abuse substance-related disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse, Biomedical Research Center (BRC)

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States