Combining reward-based incentives with deep brain stimulation for cocaine addiction
Official title: Contingency management plus deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of cocaine use disorder
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11238161 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project pairs incentive-based rewards (contingency management) with noninvasive deep transcranial magnetic stimulation to help people with cocaine addiction reduce use and prevent relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,119,619 |
| NIH project number | 1U01DA064181-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238161 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with a diagnosis of cocaine use disorder who are seeking treatment and can attend regular clinic visits for counseling, urine testing, and repeated TMS sessions are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with contraindications to TMS (for example, certain implanted metal devices or a history of seizures) or those unable to make frequent in-person visits may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll get contingency management — a program that gives rewards for clean drug tests — together with sessions of 'deep TMS,' a noninvasive brain stimulation aimed at deeper brain areas linked to craving and relapse. The deep TMS H4 coil targets the insula and lateral prefrontal cortex, regions important for decision-making, reward, and emotion. The study will compare people receiving CM alone versus CM plus deep TMS, tracking cocaine use, relapse, cognition, and mood during treatment and follow-up. The goal is to see whether adding deep TMS helps those who do not fully respond to behavioral treatment by strengthening key brain circuits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the combined approach could improve abstinence and reduce relapse by directly targeting brain circuits that drive craving and poor treatment response.
How similar studies have gone: Contingency management is a well-established effective treatment, while deep TMS for addiction is relatively new and has shown promising but still preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmitz, Joy Marie — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Schmitz, Joy Marie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exploring brain stimulation techniques to treat cocaine addiction
This study is looking at how a treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can help adults who are trying to overcome cocaine addiction by improving how their brains process rewards.
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Modulating deep brain activity with focused ultrasound for cocaine use disorder
A study will test whether targeting a deep brain region with focused ultrasound can alter brain signals related to craving in people with cocaine use disorder.
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Noninvasive brain stimulation to reduce hyperexcitability in a Fragile X rat model
A small animal study tests whether low-frequency rTMS can calm overactive brain activity and improve thinking-style tasks in a rat model of Fragile X and autism.
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Accurate, low-cost trackerless neuronavigation for TMS
A low-cost, trackerless computer-vision system to guide transcranial magnetic stimulation by precisely locating brain targets on each patient.
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Understanding how early life stress and cocaine exposure shape brain and behavior in adults
This project follows a long-running study in monkeys to see how early maltreatment and adolescent cocaine use influence brain circuits and risk of addiction in adulthood.
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Psilocybin-Assisted ACT for Co-Occurring Cocaine Use Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
A new treatment combines psilocybin with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people who have both cocaine use disorder and major depressive disorder.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.