Opioid Use Disorder Research Study
Researchers at Stony Brook University are conducting a study on how stress affects recovery in people with opioid use disorder.
Fast Facts
Ages 18-55 Diagnosed With Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Taking Medication-Assisted Treatment For OUD (e.g., Buprenorphine, Methadone)
Compensation
Provided
Conducted in
Stony Brook, NY
Study Background
Your experience can help researchers understand how stress impacts addiction and recovery.
The goal of this research is to learn how people with opioid use disorder respond to stress and how this may influence their treatment and recovery. Researchers are studying how the brain, hormones, and behavior react during stressful situations to better understand why some people experience relapse and others stay in treatment successfully.
Participants will take part in a variety of assessments over several days, including questionnaires, interviews, MRI brain scans, and lab-based stress tasks. Over the next eight months, researchers will also check in monthly by phone to see how you are doing. This study will not provide treatment for opioid use disorder, but what we learn may help improve and develop future treatment approaches.
Study Background
Your experience can help researchers understand how stress impacts addiction and recovery.
The goal of this research is to learn how people with opioid use disorder respond to stress and how this may influence their treatment and recovery. Researchers are studying how the brain, hormones, and behavior react during stressful situations to better understand why some people experience relapse and others stay in treatment successfully.
Participants will take part in a variety of assessments over several days, including questionnaires, interviews, MRI brain scans, and lab-based stress tasks. Over the next eight months, researchers will also check in monthly by phone to see how you are doing. This study will not provide treatment for opioid use disorder, but what we learn may help improve and develop future treatment approaches.
Additional Information
Stress is a major factor in addiction and recovery. This study aims to discover how the brain and body respond to stress in people who take medication for opioid use disorder, and how these responses relate to treatment success or relapse.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 18-55
- Diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD)
- Taking medication-assisted treatment for OUD (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone)
- No major medical, psychiatric, or neurological illness interfering with daily activities
- Fluent in English
- If female, not pregnant or breastfeeding
- Not receiving in-patient drug treatment required by a court or judge
- Able to undergo MRI scan (no metal in the body, no claustrophobia)
If you are eligible and choose to participate, here’s what you can expect:
A short phone interview to confirm eligibility.
Several in-person sessions at Stony Brook University Medical Center.
During visits, you’ll complete questionnaires, interviews, computer tasks, and MRI scans of your brain.
You’ll also provide blood and urine samples as part of the research.
After the initial assessments, the research team will call you once per month for about 8 months to check in.
You can earn up to $590, depending on which parts of the study you complete and how long you participate. Payment is provided hourly, with brain imaging sessions paid at a higher rate. Transportation is available for participants in Nassau and Suffolk County, or parking costs will be covered.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.