Nicotine Use DisorderNCT03302026
Real Time fMRI and Quitting Smoking
A study testing Realtime biofeedback using fMRI in people with Nicotine Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will examine how real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) feedback can be used to modulate brain activation in the context of smoking cues in order to resist craving. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Nicotine Use Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Realtime biofeedback using fMRI
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 46 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Jan 2018to 28 Mar 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Treatment-seeking smokers between the ages of 18 and 65, reporting consumption of at least 10 cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 months;
- Planning to live in the area for at least the next month;
- Capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the combined consent and HIPAA form;
- Able to communicate fluently in English (speaking, writing, and reading).
Who cannot join
- Smoking Behavior:
- Use of chewing tobacco or snuff or cigars;
- Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another smoking cessation program or research study in the next month;
- Current or anticipated (within the next month) use of smoking cessation medications or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT);
- A baseline carbon monoxide (CO) reading less than 10ppm.
- Alcohol/Drugs:
Show all 35Show fewer
- Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week;
- Positive breath alcohol concentration test (BrAC greater than or equal to 0.01) at intake; a. Participants testing positive for breath alcohol with a reading equal to or greater than .08 (the legal driving limit) or who are visibly impaired will be instructed not to drive themselves home after the appointment. If a participant needs to use a phone to call for a safe ride home, an office telephone will be made available to the participant.
- Medication:
- Current use or recent discontinuation (within the past 30 days at the time of Intake) of:
- Smoking cessation medication (e.g., Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Chantix, NRT);
- Anti-psychotic medications;
- Any medication that could compromise participant safety as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician;
- Daily use of:
- Opiate-containing medications for chronic pain.
- Medical/Neuropsychiatric:
- Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, and/or breast feeding. All female subjects of childbearing potential will undergo a urine pregnancy test at Intake and at each scan session.
- History of epilepsy or a seizure disorder;
- History of stroke;
- Self-reported brain (or CNS) or spinal tumor;
- Self-reported history of head trauma;
- Self-reported history or current diagnosis of psychosis.
- fMRI-Related:
- Self-reported use of pacemakers, certain metallic implants, or presence of metal in the eye as contraindicated for fMRI;
- Self-reported history of claustrophobia;
- Being left-handed;
- Color blindness;
- Weight greater than 250lbs at intake;
- Self-reported history of gunshot wounds;
- Any impairment preventing participants from using the response pad necessary for the computer tasks;
- Circumstances or conditions that may interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- General Exclusion:
- Any medical condition, illness, disorder, or concomitant medication that could compromise participant safety or treatment, as determined by the Principal Investigator;
- Enrollment or plans to enroll in another research study;
- Inability to provide informed consent or complete any of the study tasks as determined by the Principal Investigator.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
About this study
Official title: A Proof-of-concept Study of Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback Training for Smoking Cessation
This study will examine how real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) feedback can be used to modulate brain activation in the context of smoking cues in order to resist craving. Participants will complete a total of three fMRI scanning sessions with a cue suppression task with or without neurofeedback training (NFT). Participants will be randomized to an active group (active NFT) or a control group (no NFT) during the scanning sessions. At the end of the third session, all participants will complete a validated smoking lapse laboratory paradigm to evaluate effects of NFT on smoking behavior.
Read the detailed description
Smoking is the greatest preventable cause of mortality and a significant economic burden. Even with the best available treatments, most smokers relapse within days or weeks after a quit attempt. Nicotine replacement therapy, the most widely used pharmacotherapy, yields end of treatment quit rates of <25% suggesting that managing nicotine withdrawal is not sufficient. A smoker's response to smoking cues is one factor that increases risk of relapse. This study will examine how real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) feedback can be used to modulate brain activation in the context of smoking cues in order to resist craving. First, we will conduct a pilot study in 12 smokers for technical development and to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed study procedures. Participants will complete a total of three fMRI scanning sessions with a cue suppression task with or without neurofeedback training (NFT). Participants will be randomized to an active group (active NFT) or a control group (no NFT) during the scanning sessions. At the end of the third session, all participants will complete a validated smoking lapse laboratory paradigm to evaluate effects of NFT on smoking behavior. Upon successful completion of the technical development phase, we will proceed to a proof-of-concept phase, which will recruit 72 smokers to evaluate the efficacy of NFT for smoking behavior.
- Conditions
- Nicotine Use Disorder
- Being tested
- Realtime biofeedback using fMRI
- Keywords
- nicotine treatment, real time fMRI
- Medical subject headings
- Tobacco Use Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Realtime biofeedback using fMRIBehavioural
Real-time fMRI (rt-fMRI) allows for rapid analysis of brain activation while an individual is actively performing a task, and can be used to provide real-time neurofeedback to individuals during fMRI scanning. Using neurofeedback, individuals can learn to modulate activity in specific regions of the brain. We propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. Participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 scanning visits. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time neurofeedback training group | Experimental | We propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. In this arm, participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 neurofeedback scanning visits. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm. Secondary outcomes include changes in brain activity in areas related to craving and self-control, and self-reported craving for cigarettes. Receives: Behavioral: Realtime biofeedback using fMRI |
| No-feedback control group | No intervention | We propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. In the control group arm, participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 scanning visits with no neurofeeback. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm. Secondary outcomes include changes in brain activity in areas related to craving and self-control, and self-reported craving for cigarettes. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Smoking Lapse Paradigm
Time (sec) to first cigarette during a 50 minute monitored smoking lapse period in smoking laboratory
Measured: Study session 3 (scan day 3)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Cue induced brain signal change
Change in mean percent signal change for Cue minus Neutral contrasts in activated brain regions
Measured: Study session 3 (scan day 3)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Oct 2017
- Study start2 Jan 2018
- Primary completion1 Mar 2019
- Study completion28 Mar 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Nicotine Use DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- The proposed study will evaluate the effects of rt-fMRI neurofeedback training on the ability to resist craving for cigarettes. The study will be conducted in two phases: a technical development phase and a proof-of-concept phase focused on efficacy. The technical development phase will be completed before beginning the proof-of-concept phase. Eligible consenting treatment-seeking smokers complete an intake session and then be randomized to an active NFT group or a control group. Both groups will complete three scanning sessions, followed by a smoking resist evaluation.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03302026
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 828012
- Status last verified
- Apr 2019
- First submitted
- 26 Sep 2017
- Last updated
- 16 Apr 2019
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Apr 2019. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Proof-of-concept Study of Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback Training for Smoking Cessation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03302026
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 828012
- Conditions
- Nicotine Use Disorder
- Keywords
- nicotine treatment, real time fMRI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Jan 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Mar 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Oct 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will examine how real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) feedback can be used to modulate brain activation in the context of smoking cues in order to resist craving. Participants will complete a total of three fMRI scanning sessions with a cue suppression task with or without neurofeedback training (NFT). Participants will be randomized to an active group (active NFT) or a control group (no NFT) during the scanning sessions. At the end of the third session, all participants will complete a validated smoking lapse laboratory paradigm to evaluate effects of NFT on smoking behavior.
Detailed description
Smoking is the greatest preventable cause of mortality and a significant economic burden. Even with the best available treatments, most smokers relapse within days or weeks after a quit attempt. Nicotine replacement therapy, the most widely used pharmacotherapy, yields end of treatment quit rates of <25% suggesting that managing nicotine withdrawal is not sufficient. A smoker's response to smoking cues is one factor that increases risk of relapse. This study will examine how real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) feedback can be used to modulate brain activation in the context of smoking cues in order to resist craving. First, we will conduct a pilot study in 12 smokers for technical development and to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed study procedures. Participants will complete a total of three fMRI scanning sessions with a cue suppression task with or without neurofeedback training (NFT). Participants will be randomized to an active group (active NFT) or a control group (no NFT) during the scanning sessions. At the end of the third session, all participants will complete a validated smoking lapse laboratory paradigm to evaluate effects of NFT on smoking behavior. Upon successful completion of the technical development phase, we will proceed to a proof-of-concept phase, which will recruit 72 smokers to evaluate the efficacy of NFT for smoking behavior.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The proposed study will evaluate the effects of rt-fMRI neurofeedback training on the ability to resist craving for cigarettes. The study will be conducted in two phases: a technical development phase and a proof-of-concept phase focused on efficacy. The technical development phase will be completed before beginning the proof-of-concept phase. Eligible consenting treatment-seeking smokers complete an intake session and then be randomized to an active NFT group or a control group. Both groups will complete three scanning sessions, followed by a smoking resist evaluation.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time neurofeedback training group | Experimental | Behavioral: Realtime biofeedback using fMRIWe propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. In this arm, participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 neurofeedback scanning visits. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm. Secondary outcomes include changes in brain activity in areas related to craving and self-control, and self-reported craving for cigarettes. |
| No-feedback control group | No intervention | –We propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. In the control group arm, participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 scanning visits with no neurofeeback. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm. Secondary outcomes include changes in brain activity in areas related to craving and self-control, and self-reported craving for cigarettes. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Treatment-seeking smokers between the ages of 18 and 65, reporting consumption of at least 10 cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 months;
- Planning to live in the area for at least the next month;
- Capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the combined consent and HIPAA form;
- Able to communicate fluently in English (speaking, writing, and reading).
Key exclusion criteria (35 listed)
- Use of chewing tobacco or snuff or cigars;
- Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another smoking cessation program or research study in the next month;
- Current or anticipated (within the next month) use of smoking cessation medications or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT);
- A baseline carbon monoxide (CO) reading less than 10ppm.
- Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week;
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Realtime biofeedback using fMRIReal-time fMRI (rt-fMRI) allows for rapid analysis of brain activation while an individual is actively performing a task, and can be used to provide real-time neurofeedback to individuals during fMRI scanning. Using neurofeedback, individuals can learn to modulate activity in specific regions of the brain. We propose to use rt-fMRI neurofeedback training to help smokers consciously modulate activation in areas related to cravings and self-control in order to improve control smoking urges. Participants will complete four sessions: an intake session and 3 scanning visits. The primary outcome is the ability to resist smoking during a validated smoking lapse paradigm. | Behavioural | Real-time neurofeedback training group |
Primary outcome
Smoking Lapse Paradigm
Time frame: Study session 3 (scan day 3)
Time (sec) to first cigarette during a 50 minute monitored smoking lapse period in smoking laboratory
1 secondary outcome
Cue induced brain signal change
Time frame: Study session 3 (scan day 3)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Apr 2019.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Realtime biofeedback using fMRI in people with Nicotine Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 35 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Apr 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Smoking Lapse Paradigm (time frame: Study session 3 (scan day 3)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Apr 2019.