Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Opioid Withdrawal in Healthy Human Volunteers

Summary

Opioid medications are commonly used for pain relief. When given over time, physical dependence can occur. This results in unpleasant side effects--such as agitation and nausea--if opioid medications are suddenly stopped. However, we do not know how withdrawal affects the brain. We know that a medication named Ondansetron can help ease or prevent symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal. Through imaging of the brain by fMRI, we hope to see how opioid withdrawal, with and without the administration of ondansetron, affects brain activity.

Timeline

Start

2010-11

Primary completion

2013-07

Completion

2013-07

Publications

• Background Compton P, Miotto K, Elashoff D. Precipitated opioid withdrawal across acute physical dependence induction methods. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2004 Feb;77(2):263-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2003.10.017.
• Background Compton P, Athanasos P, Elashoff D. Withdrawal hyperalgesia after acute opioid physical dependence in nonaddicted humans: a preliminary study. J Pain. 2003 Nov;4(9):511-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2003.08.003.
• Background Stein EA, Pankiewicz J, Harsch HH, Cho JK, Fuller SA, Hoffmann RG, Hawkins M, Rao SM, Bandettini PA, Bloom AS. Nicotine-induced limbic cortical activation in the human brain: a functional MRI study. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Aug;155(8):1009-15. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.8.1009.
• Background Krystal JH, Woods SW, Kosten TR, Rosen MI, Seibyl JP, van Dyck CC, Price LH, Zubal IG, Hoffer PB, Charney DS. Opiate dependence and withdrawal: preliminary assessment using single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1995 Feb;21(1):47-63. doi: 10.3109/00952999509095229.
• Background Williams TM, Daglish MR, Lingford-Hughes A, Taylor LG, Hammers A, Brooks DJ, Grasby P, Myles JS, Nutt DJ. Brain opioid receptor binding in early abstinence from opioid dependence: positron emission tomography study. Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;191:63-9. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.031120.
• Background Hui SC, Sevilla EL, Ogle CW. Prevention by the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron, of morphine-dependence and tolerance in the rat. Br J Pharmacol. 1996 Jun;118(4):1044-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1996.tb15504.x.
• Background Pinelli A, Trivulzio S, Tomasoni L. Effects of ondansetron administration on opioid withdrawal syndrome observed in rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 1997 Dec 11;340(2-3):111-9. doi: 10.1016/s0014-2999(97)01349-6.
• Background Lowe AS, Williams SC, Symms MR, Stolerman IP, Shoaib M. Functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging of drug dependence: naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal. Neuroimage. 2002 Oct;17(2):902-10.
• Results Chu LF, Lin JC, Clemenson A, Encisco E, Sun J, Hoang D, Alva H, Erlendson M, Clark JD, Younger JW. Acute opioid withdrawal is associated with increased neural activity in reward-processing centers in healthy men: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Aug 1;153:314-22. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.04.019. Epub 2015 May 27.

Drugs

Indications