Scientists scan brains to uncover cannabinoid receptor secrets in mental illness and addiction
NCT ID NCT01730781
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study uses a special PET scan tracer called [11-C]OMAR to measure cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Researchers will compare healthy volunteers to people with schizophrenia, cannabis dependence, PTSD, opioid use disorder, and other conditions. The goal is to understand how these receptors differ across disorders, which may inform future research. Participants receive one or more PET scans, and cannabis users will be scanned at different stages of abstinence.
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 for PET scans)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help researchers understand how brain cannabinoid receptors differ in various mental health and addiction conditions, potentially guiding future treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational imaging study, not a treatment trial. It is early-stage research and may not directly lead to new therapies. Results may not apply to all populations.
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.
- Participants
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Start date
-
Jul 2010
- 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.
Who is studied
The study population is composed of schizophrenia, cannabis dependence, prodromal for psychotic illness, family history of alcoholism, healthy volunteers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder.
- Ages
-
18 to 55 years
- Sex
-
Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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 Criteria: * Males ages 18-55 * For cannabis users: * Willing to abstain from cannabis use for four weeks * For schizophrenia: * Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder * For prodrome for psychotic illness: * Meets SIPS criteria for prodromal syndrome * For family history positive: * First degree relative with alcoholism * For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder * Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD * For OUD * Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for Opioid Use Disorder Exclusion Criteria: * Current neuro-psychiatric illness (including cannabis dependence) or severe systemic disease. Cannabis use disorder is permitted in the cannabis dependent group. Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder is permitted in the schizophrenia group. Psychotic symptoms are permitted in the prodromal group. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is permitted in the PTSD group and Opioid Use Disorder is permitted in the OUD group. * Presence of ferromagnetic metal in the body or heart pacemaker * Have had exposure to ionizing radiation that in combination with the study tracer would result in a cumulative exposure that exceeds recommended exposure limits * Are claustrophobic
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cannabis dependence are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Connecticut Mental Health Center, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit
RECRUITINGNew Haven, Connecticut, 06519, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Your voice may reveal if You're taking your psychiatric medication
- Can exercise boost brain and body health during opioid treatment?
- Five sessions to quiet trauma nightmares in bipolar disorder
- Can a new drug calm the storm of opioid withdrawal?
- Can training hospital staff in Trauma-Informed care make childbirth safer?
- Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness