Listed below are the research trials currently being conducted at the Psychiatric Research Institute. Unless otherwise noted, all of them are currently accepting participants. See the respective contacts for each trial for more information.
Brain Imaging Research Center
Brain REST Project
The Brain REST study will hopefully help research scientists understand the effect of chemotherapy on brain function in breast cancer hosts.
The study seeks to investigate the mechanisms of Brain RESilience to Cancer Therapy (REST). Our aim is to discover whether breast cancer patients who receive chemotherapy are at risk for developing problems thinking, learning, remembering or making decisions.
There is NO cost to participate and participants may be compensated up to $240 for their time.
The study is currently recruiting women who:
- are ages 18 or older;
- have received chemotherapy for breast cancer in the past four years;
- have no current diagnosis of any neurological disorders.
The study involves two visits to the Brain Imaging Research Center for cognitive tests to measure brain function and a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The estimated amount of time for each visit is three hours. Participants will receive parking vouchers for each visit.
For more information, call (501) 420-2653.
OptiMAT
OptiMAT (or “Optimizing Medication-Assisted Treatment”) is a health and wellness app under evaluation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is the use of medications combined with therapy to treat substance use disorders, including misuse of nicotine, alcohol, or opioids. UAMS is evaluating if OptiMAT can improve treatment outcomes through the following:
- daily monitoring of participant craving, mood, and withdrawal symptoms
- personalized feedback
- alerting participants when they enter areas of high risk for relapse
LIFE Brain Project
Our research utilizes brain MRI scans to investigate factors of natural aging, aiming to discern key processes of degeneration from those of healthy aging. Our primary goal is to increase the precision in early diagnosis of mental and neurological conditions while shedding light into factors of brain health among adults.
We are recruiting
- Men & women
- Age 18 and over
- No current diagnosis of neurological disorders
Cost and compensation
- There is NO cost to participate.
- Participants may be compensated up to $100 for their time.
Study activities
- Complete a study visit composed of:
- Cognitive test session
- Brain MRI session
- Total participation ~4 h
- Parking & lunch voucher provided
The study activities can be all done in 1 visit, or split into 2 visits at your convenience. We work our best to accommodate to your schedule.
For more information, call (501) 420-2653.
Center for Addiction Research
Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Site Trial of Extended-Release Naltrexone Injection/Bupropion XL Tablets in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD)
The purpose of this study is to test a combination of two medications for 3 months as a possible treatment for methamphetamine use disorder. The study may last around 4 months. This timeframe starts with the first in-person screening visit, and the entire screening period could last up to 3 weeks.
If you are a good match for the study, you will receive study medication for 3 months. This study includes the use of placebo, which looks like the medications we are testing, but does not include any active medicines. The study medication will be up to 4 injections of Vivitrol with daily oral Wellbutrin tablets OR placebo injections and placebo tablets. During this 3-month period, you will need to come to the clinic two times a week for medication, medical management with a medical clinician, and assessments. Study medication and medical management will be provided to you at no cost. You will receive compensation for your time and effort. Study information will be kept confidential.
This study is currently accepting participants. For more information, call 501-526-7969. All calls are confidential. Click here to download a flyer about this research study.
Center for Health Services Research
Connect To Care Trial
In studies of the general population and of military veterans, many primary care patients with hazardous drinking and PTSD and/or depression (abbreviated here as HD +) do not initiate or engage with alcohol-related care. To address this gap in care, we identified and will pilot test a promising evidence-based intervention, Connect To Care (C2C). C2C is a strengths-based approach, delivered by a Care Coach by telephone and/or video, with four components: (1) identifying and leveraging patient strengths to facilitate care initiation, (2) collaborative decision-making around a menu of care options, (3) identifying and resolving barriers to care, and (4) monitoring and facilitating progress toward care initiation by, for example, checking on barriers, identifying solutions, and revisiting care options.
Methods/Design
Aim 1 will involve adapting C2C for use in Veterans Affairs’ (VA) primary care. We will use an iterative process that includes focus groups and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (patients, primary care providers, and VA national policy leaders). In Aim 2, we will conduct a two-site, pilot randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility of conducting a larger scale trial to test C2C’s effectiveness, ascertain the acceptability of C2C among primary care patients with HD + , and explore the efficacy of C2C to improve veteran patients’ initiation of and engagement in alcohol care, and their alcohol and mental health (PTSD, depression) outcomes, at 3-month
follow-up. We will explore explanatory mechanisms by which C2C is effective.
Discussion
Study findings are likely to have implications for clinical practice to enhance current approaches to linking patients with HD + to alcohol care by applying a practical intervention such as C2C. The results may improve treatment outcomes for people with HD + by drawing on patients’ strengths to problem-solve barriers to care following a process of shared decision-making with a coach. In addition to possibly accelerating the translation of C2C into practice, study findings will also support additional research in terms of a planned effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial, adding to this study’s potential for high impact.
EMPOWER-ED Trial
Long-term benzodiazepine dependence carries significant health risks which might be reduced with low-cost patient self-management interventions. A booklet version of one such intervention (Eliminating Medications Through Patient Ownership of End Results; EMPOWER) proved effective in a Canadian clinical trial with older adults. Digitizing such an intervention for electronic delivery and tailoring it to different populations could expand its reach. Accordingly, this article describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an electronically-delivered, direct-to-patient benzodiazepine cessation intervention tailored to U. S. military veterans.
Methods: Design: Two-arm individually randomized controlled trial.
Setting: US Veterans Health Administration primary care clinics.
Participants: Primary care patients taking benzodiazepines for three or more months and having access to a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.
Intervention and comparator: Participants will be randomized to receive either the electronically-delivered EMPOWER (EMPOWER-ED) protocol or asked to continue to follow provider recommendations regarding their benzodiazepine use (treatment-as-usual).
Measurements: The primary outcomes are complete benzodiazepine cessation and 25% dose reduction, assessed using administrative and self-report data, between baseline and six-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes are self-reported anxiety symptoms, sleep quality, and overall health and quality of life, measured at baseline and 6- month follow-up, and benzodiazepine cessation at 12-month follow-up.
Comments: This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether the accessibility and effectiveness of a promising intervention for benzodiazepine cessation can be improved through digitization and population tailoring.
Neurodevelopmental Risk and Resilience Program
Family Health Patterns (FHP) Project
The FHP Project is a long-running study aimed at characterizing behavioral and biological factors associated with family histories of alcoholism and early-life adversity exposure. Activities during the current funding period are focused on examining how family histories of alcoholism and early-life adversity affect immune regulation and frontal white matter myelination and health. Ultimately this work hopes to better inform how family history and early life experience influence risk for problem alcohol and other drug use.
We are currently seeking healthy young adults ages 18-25 to participate in this study. If interested, please go to https://base.uams.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=4K3NRPKYEE.
HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study
The HBCD study is the largest ever study of child brain development. It will follow 7,500 children from the prenatal period to at least ages 9-10. The study will investigate how things like prenatal opioid and other drug exposure, nutrition and early life environment influences influence risk for early substance use, mental disorders, and other behavioral and developmental problems. It will also identify resilience factors that may mitigate some of these adverse outcomes. For more information, please visit https://hbcdstudy.org.