Active Studies

Principal Investigator(s): A. Eden Evins, MD, MPH, and Randi Schuster, PhD  

Teen vaping is rising, with nearly 20% of adolescents using nicotine in the past month. This trial will enroll 400 teens  who vape weekly and want to quit. Participants will be randomized to a 12-week QuitVaping program with behavioral support or Enhanced Usual Care (EUC), which includes educational materials and a text-based quitting app. The study will measure vaping abstinence at 9–12 weeks and up to 36 weeks. The goal of this trial is to determine if behavioral and digital support can improve quitting rates and address the growing issue of youth nicotine addiction.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Email nhasan1@mgh.harvard.edu or call (617) 643-4838 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Joanna Streck, Ph.D.

The prevalence of smoking among adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) is six-fold higher than the general population, yet traditional smoking cessation approaches are much less effective in this population. This pilot randomized controlled trial switches 40 individuals in stable recovery from opioid use disorder who smoke cigarettes to e-cigarettes, either immediately or after an 8-week delay period. The goal of this trial is to assess whether using electronic cigarettes can help adults reduce their cigarette smoking and harms from tobacco smoking.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Email csterling-maisel@mgh.harvard.edu or call (617) 643-0949 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Joanna Streck, Ph.D.

The goal of the study is to test a chatbot designed to improve follow up care and support for people receiving medication treatment for opioid use disorder at MGH. Participants will use a chatbot for 12 weeks, and attend two remote study visits. This study is timely as chatbots hold promise to augment the role of clinical care team members and provide individuals with substance use disorders additional resources and support to reduce and manage their substance use and cravings and promote overall long-term health and wellbeing.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Email csterling-maisel@mgh.harvard.edu, or call (619) 643-0949 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigators: Jodi Gilman, Ph.D.

Nearly 20% of adults in the U.S. struggle with substance use disorders (SUD), driving a growing public health crisis. This trial will enroll 80 participants, including 40 adults with a substance use disorder (SUD) and 40 healthy individuals. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), participants will undergo brain scans to measure brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, a region critical for decision-making and impulse control. The study aims to determine how substance use impacts brain function, and explore whether increased brain activity can be a potential biomarker for addiction. This study will advance our understanding of the neurobiology of addiction, which could ultimately lead to improved treatments and interventions for those struggling with substance use.

This study is currently recruiting participants: Visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/sudfnirs or call (617) 643-4838 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator: Randi Schuster, Ph.D

The goal of this study is to disentangle relationships between acute cannabis use and withdrawal on proximal depression and suicide risk and recovery. We will recruit 200 adolescents with daily or near-daily cannabis use and depressive symptoms. We will use mobile-based data collection to understand how depression and suicidal ideation change during periods of cannabis use as usual, withdrawal, and post-withdrawal.

This information will guide the development of scalable, individualized, accessible, and affordable interventions aimed to reduce depression and suicide risk among adolescents.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/mj_and_depression

or call (617) 643-3575 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Jodi Gilman, Ph.D.

The rate of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is steadily increasing in the United States as widespread commercialization of the substance continues. Despite many clinical trials of off-label medications, there are no FDA-approved medication treatments for CUD. The goal of this study is to observe the impact of suvorexant on brain activity of people who frequently use cannabis. Suvorexant is an FDA-approved medication to treat insomnia. In this project, we will use MR imaging before and after two weeks of suvorexant administration to investigate changes in insula activation to cannabis-related cues. This pilot-study will allow investigators to collect vital data on a promising new pharmacotherapeutic treatment method for CUD.

This study is currently recruiting participants, call (617) 643-5039 or email lrarteaga@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Jodi Gilman, Ph.D., Marco Loggia, Ph.D.

Treatment for chronic pain is largely ineffective, likely due to a lack of viable targets. Cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), are among the therapeutics attracting attention for their potential pain applications. In this project, we will use PET/MR imaging to image glial activation in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP), and investigate whether CBD, compared to placebo, reduces pain- and depression-related neuroinflammation in cLBP. This will be the first study to test potential effects of CBD on neuroinflammation and striatal physiology in pain patients, and could help reconcile the conflicting findings regarding the efficacy of cannabinoids in pain conditions.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Visit https://rally.partners.org/study/cbdpain or call (617) 726-7428 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Jodi Gilman, Ph.D.,  A. Eden Evins, M.D., MPH

Controversy exists over the risk to benefit ratio of medical marijuana for adults with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) on chronic opioid therapy (COT). The primary goal of this proposal is to assess whether medical marijuana, when added to a behavioral prescription opioid taper support program, improves pain and reduces opioid dose in adults on COT for CNCP more so than the behavioral intervention alone. This information is critical to better inform patients and clinicians about the extent to which medical marijuana use may be beneficial or harmful to this patient population.

This study is now closed for recruitment.

Principal Investigator(s): Hsiao-Ying Wey, Ph.D., Jodi Gilman, Ph.D.

A pilot study that aims to observe the effect of cannabis use on the dopamine system. In this single-blind cross-over trial, approximately 30 participants with and without a family history of psychosis who regularly use cannabis will complete PET/MRI scans following the administration of dronabinol (synthetic THC) or placebo before and after a 6-week period of cannabis abstinence.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/do_you_frequently_us or call (617) 726-6039 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Randi Schuster, Ph.D.

A randomized controlled trial that aims to evaluate the iDECIDE drug education curriculum, compared to a waitlist control, in 300 middle and high school students who have violated their school substance use policies in the last month. The trial tests the effectiveness of the iDECIDE curriculum on improving substance use outcomes, as an alternative to punitive responses (e.g., suspension) for school substance use policy violations.

Visit the iDECIDE website to learn more, or check out the iDECIDE Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/idecide_labrct or call (617) 643-3574 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Randi Schuster, Ph.D.

Massachusetts is the only state in the country that mandates annual Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) assessments in middle schools and high schools. SBIRT is a tool used to identify adolescents who may be using substances and connect them to support services and resources.

The purpose of this study is to learn how to optimize the delivery of SBIRT in a school-based environment. The study will be evaluating the effectiveness of using a nonclinical Youth Wellness Coach to conduct SBIRT screenings in schools across the state. The Youth Wellness Coaches will have lived experience with substance use conditions and will be representative of the community they are serving. Additionally, the study will be holding interviews with students, school staff, and Youth Wellness Coaches to gain insight into the current SBIRT model and possible areas for change.

Read more about our study: https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2022/testing-scalable-broad-reach-school-based-brief-interventions-alcohol-use

Principal Investigator(s): Randi Schuster, Ph.D.

A pilot study that aims to evaluate adolescents’ responses to the iDECIDE drug education curriculum to be used as an alternative for suspension for students with school-based substance use infractions.

This study is currently recruiting participants. Visit https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/idecidepilot or call (617) 643-4382 to see if you are eligible.

Principal Investigator(s): Randi Schuster, Ph.D.

The school-wide assessment is a brief, longitudinal and epidemiological survey of youth substance use and mental health. The survey is administered with partnered middle and high schools across the state of Massachusetts each year. With the creation of a robust linking code we are able to link data across years to allow for the collection of long term survey data. The survey also aids in establishing a school-based recruitment pipeline used for other studies.