Substance Abuse clinical trials at University of California Health

28 in progress, 20 open to eligible people

Showing trials for

  • Effectiveness Study of PTSD Treatments Among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The goal of this clinical trial is see if Cognitive Processing Therapy and STAIR Narrative Therapy work to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic, and all other sexual or gender minority (LGBTQIA+) adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Do these treatments reduce PTSD symptoms in LGBTQIA+ patients? - Do these treatments help improve quality of life and reduce depression in LGBTQIA+ patients? - Do stress from stigma and discrimination and drug/alcohol use change the impact of the treatment on PTSD symptoms? - Are LGBTQIA+ patients satisfied with these treatments? Do these treatments work differently among different groups within the LGBTQIA+ community? - Do LGBTQIA+ patients complete these treatments? Study participants will receive one of these two PTSD treatments. Participants will complete assessments before and after receiving treatment.

    at UCSF

  • Age-dependent Effects of Smoked and Oral Delta-9-THC

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    This study will assess the age-dependent effects of smoked and oral THC on abuse liability, intoxication, analgesia and impairment as a function of age.

    at UCLA

  • AnalgeSiC and appEtite-stimulating Effects of caNnabigerol and THC (ASCENT)

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    This study will assess the analgesic, appetite-stimulating, and subjective effects of cannabigerol (CBG) alone and in combination with THC.

    at UCLA

  • ASK-PrEP (Assistance Services Knowledge-PrEP)

    open to eligible males ages 18 years and up

    ASK-PrEP is a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT), with a Stepped Care approach, among HIV-negative trans women and men who have sex with men with a substance use disorder (SUD). Participants will be randomized (3:1) to the ASK-PrEP Stepped Care arm or Standard of Care (SOC). Participants in the ASK-PrEP Stepped Care arm will receive 5 PrEP navigation sessions, with weekly text-messaging support, delivered over 3 months, at which point they will be assessed for intervention response. Responders will be maintained for an additional 3 months in ASK-PrEP to receive an additional 5 PrEP navigation session with weekly text-messaging support, while non-responders will receive added attention to their SUD via contingency management (CM). Non-responders will be re-randomized (1:1) to either a) receive ASK-PrEP + CM, or b) shift the primary focus to their SUD (CM alone) for an additional 3 months.

    at UCLA

  • Cannabis Effects as a Function of Sex

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of cannabis on the analgesic and abuse-related effects between men and women

    at UCLA

  • Collaborative Care for Polysubstance Use in Primary Care Settings (Co-Care)

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of this trial is to test the efficacy of a collaborative care intervention to address opioid- and/or stimulant-involved polysubstance use in adult primary care patients with moderate to severe substance use disorders (SUD). The primary aims are to reduce days of opioid use (illicit or nonmedical opioid use), days of illicit stimulant use (cocaine, methamphetamine), and days of heavy alcohol use.

    at UCLA

  • Contingency Management for Veteran Smokers Undergoing Major Elective Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The goal of this study is to design and test the first mobile contingency management (CM) smoking cessation intervention for military Veterans undergoing major elective surgery. Smoking is the leading risk factor for postoperative complications and is associated with longer hospital stays, reoperations, and 30-day mortality. Smoking rates among patients undergoing major elective surgery are high, 22.3-43.0%. It is imperative to identify efficacious, strategically timed smoking cessation interventions for surgery patients. CM incentivizes smoking cessation through positive reinforcement (rewards) when bioverified abstinence is achieved. To ensure feasibility, CM must be tailored to the clinical context. CM for smoking cessation has never been delivered before and after major surgery, nor has mobile CM bioverification been trialed perioperatively. The investigators will develop and test a tailored mobile smoking cessation CM protocol for Veterans undergoing major elective surgery.

    at UCSF

  • Cultural Adaptation of Drug Treatment for DJJ Youth

    open to eligible people ages 12-17

    This project aims to improve the understanding of the impact of Ethnic and Racial Discrimination (ERD) on adolescent alcohol and other drug use (AOD) within the Black Justice-Involved Youth (JIY) population. Individual interviews with Black JIY and focus groups with parents and guardians of Black JIY and community members who support change and reform in the justice community for Black JIY will be conducted.

    at UCSF

  • Smoked THC and CBD in Men and Women

    open to eligible people ages 21-55

    The purpose of this study is to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of inhaled cannabis with varying amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD) and to evaluate detection of recently smoked THC in oral fluid.

    at UCLA

  • Expression of Stress Markers During Meth Treatment (EXPRESS+)

    open to eligible males ages 18-45

    This is a non-randomized behavioral trial that aims to investigate whether changes in inflammatory and type I IFN expression coincide with changes in methamphetamine use and viral load over the course of 12 weeks in HIV-positive people assigned male at birth with and without methamphetamine use disorder.

    at UCLA

  • Intervention for Virologic Suppression in Youth

    open to eligible people ages 18-29

    The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the effect of a technology-based intervention with an Adaptive Treatment Strategy (ATS) among youth living with HIV (YLWH) (18-29 years old). This piloted and protocolized intervention combines: (1) brief weekly sessions with a counselor via a video-chat platform (video-counseling) to discuss mental health (MH), substance use (SU), HIV care engagement, and other barriers to care; and (2) a mobile health application (app) to address barriers such as ART forgetfulness and social isolation. Individuals who are not virologically suppressed will be randomized to video-counseling+app or standard of care (SOC). Through this study, the investigators will be able to: Aim 1: Test the efficacy of video-counseling+app vs SOC on virologic suppression in YLWH.The investigators will compare HIV virologic suppression of those randomized to the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 2: Assess the impact of video-counseling+app vs SOC on MH and SU in YLWH. The investigators will evaluate the MH and SU differences between the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 3: Explore an ATS to individualize the intervention by assigning the: 1. virologic "non-responders" in the intervention arm to intensified video-counseling+app for 16 more weeks, 2. virologic "responders" in the intervention arm to continue only app use for 16 more weeks. Researchers will compare the characteristics of virologic responders and non-responders to the intervention, individualization of the intervention based on these variables, and linkage to MH and SU treatment services among those in need to see if delivery of care is enhanced and impact on virologic suppression.

    at UCSF

  • Massed Prolonged Exposure for PTSD in Substance Use Treatment

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if receiving Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD in massed format (multiple sessions weekly) is as effective as receiving it with sessions once per week among veterans with PTSD and substance use disorder in intensive outpatient substance use treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Will the massed format help participants complete and benefit from Prolonged Exposure in terms of PTSD symptoms? - Will it help participants reduce substance use? Participants who are in intensive substance use treatment will be asked to complete Prolonged Exposure with either weekly sessions or multiple sessions per week.

    at UCSD

  • MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Veterans With Moderate to Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This randomized, double-blind, single-site phase II 2-arm study will investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy compared with low dose d-amphetamine-assisted therapy on the severity of PTSD symptoms in participants aged 18 years and older with PTSD of at least moderate severity.

    at UCLA

  • Mindful Self-Compassion to Address PTSD and Substance Use in Unhoused Women

    open to eligible females ages 18 years and up

    Trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder (SUD) present major threats to public health. PTSD and SUD are major correlates of disability, often resulting in severe social and occupational impairment. Comorbidity between PTSD and SUD (PTSD/SUD) is common and frequently co-occurs with other mental health ailments including depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Comorbidity may be amplified in groups vulnerable to high trauma exposure, such as women with low socioeconomic status including women experiencing homelessness (WEH). Moreover, the reciprocal nature of PTSD/SUD (substances are used to cope with PTSD symptoms; substance use can create high-risk situations for new traumas to occur), can create a cycle of trauma and symptomatology leading to a critical health disparity. PTSD/SUD can be costly and difficult to treat, with treatment completion often low and relapse rates often high. Low-cost, complementary interventions, such as self-compassion (SC) interventions, which target key mechanisms that maintain PTSD/SUD, could improve treatment outcomes. SC interventions include practices that build skills to improve emotional responses, cognitive understanding, and mindfulness. Recent research supports the benefit of SC interventions for reducing PTSD, SUD, and related comorbidities, potentially with large effects. However, sample sizes have generally been small and randomized designs infrequently used. Moreover, while SC interventions may act to improve key mechanisms of treatment response and/or symptom maintenance (e.g., emotion regulation/dysregulation, trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, moral injury, and craving), such mediating factors have been underexplored. To address these limitations, the present proposal will implement community-based research principles and use a two phase, mixed-method design to adapt and test a widely used SC intervention (Mindful Self Compassion; MSC) for use with a sample of WEH with PTSD/SUD. The project will be conducted in partnership with a state-funded drug treatment facility that serves women and families experiencing high health disparities. Phase I was completed in 2023 and adapted the standard MSC course for use with trauma-exposed WEH with PTSD/SUD using the ADAPT-ITT model, an eight-stage model that engages community partners to increase feasibility and acceptability of interventions for at-risk populations. Phase II will be an open-label cluster randomized clinical trial (N=202) to test the benefit of the adapted MSC at improving primary (PTSD, substance use) and secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, hopelessness) among a sample of WEH with PTSD/SUD residing in a residential drug treatment site. MSC (n=101) will be compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU; n=101). WEH in the MSC group will complete a 6-week (six sessions plus a half-day retreat) MSC intervention. The TAU group will engage in weekly check-ins with the research team but will not receive an intervention. WEH will be assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-month follow-up. One-on-one interviews will be conducted with the MSC group to collect qualitative data on experiences. An exploratory aim will be to elucidate mechanism of treatment-response and maintenance or remission of PTSD symptoms. These potential mechanisms will include SC, emotion regulation/dysregulation, trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, moral injury, and craving. Results may inform treatment for PTSD/SUD in WEH and other groups experiencing high health disparities and provide valuable insights into mechanisms underlying PTSD/SUD symptoms over time. Findings are relevant to military populations, which experience high rates of PTSD/SUD, and other populations disproportionately exposed to trauma.

    at UCLA

  • Optimizing Chronic Pain Care With Mindfulness and Chronic Pain Management Visits

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The primary aim of this implementation-effectiveness trial is to examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) and patient-centered chronic pain management visits in primary care as interventions to reduce chronic pain, improve quality of life, and reduce opioid-related harms among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy.

    at UCSD

  • OSA PAP Treatment for Veterans With SUD and PTSD on Residential Treatment Unit

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Substance use disorder (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur and having both disorders is associated with greater psychological and functional impairment than having either disorder alone. This is especially true in residential settings where both disorders are more severe than outpatient settings. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly comorbid with both disorders and untreated OSA is associated with worse functional impairment across multiple domains, worse quality of life, worse PTSD, higher suicidal ideation, and higher substance use and relapse rates. Treating OSA with evidence-based positive airway pressure (PAP) in Veterans with SUD/PTSD on a residential unit is a logical way to maximize treatment adherence and treatment outcomes. This study compares OSA treatment while on a SUD/PTSD residential unit to a waitlist control group. The investigators hypothesize that treating OSA on the residential unit, compared to the waitlist control, will have better functional, SUD, and PTSD outcomes.

    at UCSD

  • Smoking Cessation CM for Veterans With or at Risk for Cancer

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Tobacco use among US Veterans poses significant health problems and challenges to their overall well-being. The aim of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a program called Contingency Management (CM) in helping Veterans quit smoking during lung cancer screening or cancer care at VA clinics. CM is a behavioral treatment that uses rewards to encourage smoking cessation when verified through biological testing. In the first year, the researchers will develop a mobile CM protocol based on feedback from Veterans and healthcare staff through focus groups. In the second year, they will conduct a pilot study to test the feasibility of the mobile CM program along with counseling and medication for 20 Veterans over a five-week period. The success of the pilot study will determine whether to proceed with a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) in years three to six, comparing the efficacy of mobile CM with standard treatment. The project will take place at SFVA.

    at UCSF

  • Ultrasound Neuromodulation of the Brain for Alcohol Use Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    This study aims to examine the effects of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) on brain activity in patients with alcohol use disorder.

    at UCSF

  • Wellness, Intervention Strategies and HIV Care

    open to eligible females ages 18 years and up

    This is a pilot trial designed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention aimed at improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), viral suppression, and engagement in HIV care. The intervention will address behavioral coping strategies, HIV care engagement behaviors, and substance use management.

    at UCSF

  • Women Focused Encounters for Resilience Independence Strength and Eudaimonia

    open to eligible females ages 18 years and up

    The goal of this combination Type 1 hybrid and observational study is to evaluate the impact of a peer delivered intervention of acceptance and comittment therapy(ACT) + exercise + social support to address the substance (ab)use, violence, and AIDS/HIV (SAVA) to improve medication adherence for women living with HIV (WLWH). This intervention will be implemented by community based organizations that focus on WLWH across four counties. The main question it aims to answer are: - Will peer provision of ACT, exercise, and social support improve medication adherence for WLWH? - Will community based organizations be able to sustain the intervention after research is completed, and what changes will need to be made to sustain th eintervention.

    at UCSD

  • Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach for Optimizing HIV Service Delivery in Syringe Services Programs

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based, organizational-level implementation strategy, the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach, in improving HIV service delivery (SAIA-SSP-HIV) in U.S. syringe services programs (SSPs). The main questions it aims to answer are: - Does SAIA-SSP-HIV improve delivery of HIV services (including the proportion of SSP participants receiving HIV testing and referrals to appropriate clinical services for HIV prevention and treatment) compared to implementation as usual (IAU)? - Does SAIA-SSP-HIV result in sustained improvement of HIV service delivery cascades (including the proportion of SSP participants receiving HIV testing and referrals to appropriate clinical services for HIV prevention and treatment) compared to IAU? - What are the costs associated with SAIA-SSP-HIV and how cost-effective is the strategy? The trial will take place over 21 months and consist of a 3-month lead-in period, a 12-month active period, and a 6-month sustainment period. During the 12-month active period a SAIA specialist will meet with SSPs randomized to the SAIA-SSP-HIV arm to help them optimize their HIV service delivery cascades. Researchers will compare the SAIA-SSP-HIV and IAU arms to see if HIV service delivery and costs and cost-effectiveness differ by group.

    at UCSD

  • Analgesic and Subjective Effects of Terpenes

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this research is to assess the analgesic and subjective effects of terpenes administered alone and in combination of THC.

    at UCLA

  • Coordinated Access for Addiction Recovery and Equity in VA Supportive Housing

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program provides subsidized permanent housing with case management to homeless-experienced Veterans (HEVs). Up to 40% of Veterans exit HUD-VASH within two years of attaining housing; substance use disorders (SUDs) are one of the largest causes of returns to homelessness for HEVs. CARE-VASH QUERI proposes to implement and evaluate two evidence-based SUD services - Medications for addiction treatment (MAT) and cognitive behavioral therapy for SUDs (CBT-SUD) - among Veterans in HUD-VASH.

    at UCLA

  • Oral THC and CBD in Men and Women

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The purpose of this study is to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and to evaluate detection of recently smoked THC in oral fluid.

    at UCLA

  • FostrSpace-CASA R61/R33

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this study is to understand how an online digital health application (app) called FostrSpace can reduce substance use among youth (ages 13-20 years old) in foster care.

    at UCSF

  • N-Acetylcysteine for Smoking Cessation in Tobacco and Cannabis Co-Use

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Tobacco and cannabis co-use is a common and growing public health problem, especially in states that have legalized cannabis. There are no pharmacologic treatments for co-occurring tobacco and cannabis use. Co-use may make quitting either substance more difficult, given the synergistic effects of cannabis and nicotine on neurobiological systems that mediate reward and shared cues reinforcing co-use. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an FDA-approved medication and over-the-counter supplement, has shown promise in animal studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in reducing tobacco and cannabis craving and use.

    at UCSF

  • THC and CBD: A Controlled Human Study Probing a Harm Reduction Strategy

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of CBD on the effects of THC.

    at UCLA

  • Latent Structure of Multi-level Assessments and Predictors of Outcomes for Women in Recovery

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    In this study the investigators will seek to improve their understanding of how positive and negative valence systems, cognition, and arousal/interoception are inter-related in disorders of trauma, mood, substance use, and eating behavior for women involved in a court diversion program in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Women in Recovery). The investigators will recruit 100 individuals and use a wide range of assessment tools, neuroimaging measures, blood and microbiome collections and behavioral tasks to complete the baseline and follow-up study visits. Upon completion, the investigators aim to have robust and reliable dimensional measures that quantify these systems and a set of assessments that should be recommended as a clinical tool to enhance outcome prediction for the clinician and assist in determining who will likely benefit from the diversion program, and to inform future revision or augmentation of the program to increase treatment effectiveness.

    at UCSD

Our lead scientists for Substance Abuse research studies include .

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