Research Trials

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.

Center for Health Services Research

Stress in Meth

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how people who use methamphetamine respond to stressful events, such as being in an emergency department (ED) setting. By doing this study, we also hope to find out whether certain tasks make a space at UAMS that looks like an ED seem more like an actual ED. Up to 20 methamphetamine-using participants between the ages of 21 and 55 years old will be part of this study. This is not a treatment study.

This study involves three 3-hour visits to UAMS, including an in-person screening session and two laboratory day sessions. At the first laboratory day session, participants will be asked to either respond to three different scenarios or to imagine the circumstances surrounding their most stressful visit to an emergency department. Participants will then be asked to complete a simple arithmetic task. At the second laboratory day session, participants will be asked to watch a nature video instead of completing a speaking task and an arithmetic task.

There is no cost to participate in this study and participants will be compensated for their time.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Male or female
  • Ages 21-55
  • Have been previously inside an ED as either a patient or visitor
  • Recent history of methamphetamine use
  • Able to attend three 3-hour visits to UAMS

This study is currently accepting participants. For more information, e-mail Dr. Michael Wilson at MPWilson@uams.edu or contact the DEMBER Lab at (501) 570-6362. All calls are confidential.

Brain Imaging Research Center

Prospection, Time and Addiction (PTA)

This project studies how addiction may change the way people think about themselves and their futures. Future-oriented thinking, or “prospection”, relies upon self-control processes that bias behavior away from impulsive and immediate reinforcers in favor of greater long-term reward. In addition to studying how addiction changes this cognitive process and its neural correlates in adult men and women, this study will also explore the development of prospective thinking among adolescents at risk for developing drug use disorders. The long-term goal of this project is to incorporate a science-based rationale for the development of prospection-related interventions to prevent and treat drug addictions.

Please contact Natalie Morris at NMorris@uams.edu or call (501) 420-2653 for more information.

Cognition and Multiple Sclerosis (COMS)

The goal of this study is to understand how multiple sclerosis (MS) may impact cognition and behavior. We are looking for adult men and women with or without MS to participate in this study. Participants will be asked to come to UAMS for two visits. On the first visit, we will conduct confidential interviews about MS symptoms and give cognitive tests. This visit takes about 3 hours to complete. On the second visit, the participant will complete a MRI scan to map brain structure and function. The MRI takes about one hour, with the entire visit taking about 1 ½ hours to complete. Participants will be compensated up to $150 for their time.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Male or Female
  • Ages 25-55
  • (a) Patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis OR (b) Healthy subjects with no history of neurologic illness
  • No internal metals
  • No other major medical conditions

Please call or text the Brain Imaging Research Center at (501) 420-2653 for more information.