Improving mood to help decision-making in adults recovering from methamphetamine use

Modulating explore-exploit biases by improving mood in adults with amphetamine use disorder

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · LAUREATE INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN RESEARCH · NIH-11145212

This project uses positive personal memory recall to lift mood and help adults recovering from methamphetamine use make better, less drug-focused choices.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorLAUREATE INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN RESEARCH (nih funded)
Locations1 site (TULSA, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11145212 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you are an adult who is abstinent from methamphetamine, researchers will ask you to recall positive personal memories to try to improve your mood. While you do decision-making tasks, including a three-arm bandit game and a reinforcement-learning task, the team will measure your choices and brain activity using fMRI. The study focuses on brain areas linked to mood and decision-making, such as the insula, anterior cingulate, and striatum. The goal is to see whether better mood leads to more balanced exploration of choices and fewer drug-focused decisions.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) who are currently abstinent from methamphetamine and have a history of methamphetamine use disorder would be the intended participants.

Not a fit: People who are not abstinent, who have active heavy use of other substances, or who have severe uncontrolled psychiatric or medical conditions may not benefit or be eligible.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people in recovery make healthier choices and lower the chance of relapse by improving mood-driven decision-making.

How similar studies have performed: Memory-based mood interventions have shown promise for improving mood and decision-making in other conditions like depression, but applying this approach to methamphetamine recovery with fMRI measurements is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

TULSA, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.