Brain imaging to predict teens' response to cannabis treatment
Official title: Neuroimaging of Instrumental Learning Networks in Adolescent Cannabis Use Treatment
Run by Indiana University · NCT07340554 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether teens' brain activity during a learning task can predict how well 14–17-year-olds do in a 10-week virtual reward program to reduce cannabis use.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Indiana University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 15, 2026 |
| Main results expected | May 1, 2030 |
| Study ends | May 1, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | June 22, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07340554 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Teenagers 14–17 who use cannabis at least once per week or have been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder in the past three months, who are MRI-eligible and have a guardian able to assist with home urine testing.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are not MRI-eligible (for example due to metal implants, pregnancy, or claustrophobia), those with excluded neurodevelopmental or psychotic disorders, or those without an English-speaking caregiver are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This 13-week study will enroll about 80 adolescents aged 14–17 who use cannabis weekly or have a recent cannabis use disorder diagnosis. Participants will complete in-person eligibility visits and a baseline fMRI while performing an instrumental learning task, then take part in ten weekly virtual contingency management sessions where guardians administer urine drug screens and participants can earn prizes for abstinence. Researchers will use elastic net regression to relate baseline learning‑related brain activity to treatment outcomes measured by self-report and urine tests. The aim is to identify neural markers that predict who benefits from contingency management to better target treatments for adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help match teens to treatments that are more likely to help them stop using cannabis.
How similar studies have gone: Contingency management is a well-established approach for substance use, and some adult neuroimaging work suggests learning-related brain signals can predict response, but applying this neuroimaging prediction approach in adolescents is relatively new.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 14-17 year old youth * Guardian 18 years or older * Youth is MRI-eligible: No metal implants, prosthetics, orthodontic devices, transdermal medication patches, piercings and/or hair or eyelash extensions that cannot easily be removed, metallic ink tattoos on the neck or face, or claustrophobia, and are not pregnant * Youth must endorse having used cannabis at least once per week over the past month OR youth must have been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder within the past three months Exclusion Criteria: * Youth has a history of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disorders, pervasive development disorder or autism spectrum disorder, psychotic disorders, history of neurological problems (epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, cerebrovascular disease) by parent/guardian report * Youth or caretaker who is monolingual non-English speaker * Youth who is currently experiencing active psychosis symptoms or suicidal/homicidal ideation or who has been hospitalized within the past 6 months for psychosis or suicidality/homicidality * Youth who is currently undergoing contingency management treatment for cannabis use disorder
Where it's running
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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Joseph Aloi, MD, PhD
- Email: liferaft@iu.edu
- Phone: 317-278-5433
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.