Overview

The influence of genes on addictive and neuropsychiatric disorders is complex, especially given that multiple genes likely influence certain behaviors that are correlated with addiction. Researchers are interested in looking at the genetic information of individuals who are enrolled on National Institute for Drug Abuse studies to investigate specific genetic variants that may be related to substance abuse. Researchers will study the effects of genes on several aspects of thinking such as attention, memory, decision making, problem solving, learning, and emotional feelings, and investigate the ways in which genetic information affects addictive behaviors and substance abuse. In addition, researchers will study how genes may explain differences in imaging data in substance users.

Objectives

• To collect genetic information for research on genetic aspects of addiction and substance abuse.

Eligibility

• Adults age 18 or older
• (1) healthy, non-drug-using nonsmokers,
• (2) healthy smokers,
• (3) healthy individuals dependent on other commonly abused drugs, and
• (4) individuals with other psychiatric disorders.
• Participants must be enrolled in another National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program imaging protocol.

Design

• This study involves one to two visits to National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program that may be separate from the participant's current research protocol study visits or on the same day as those visits.
• Participants will provide a blood sample and complete questionnaires about mood, memory, and learning.
• Participants may also be asked to do a few tasks, such as playing computer games involving coin tosses and money management, or responding to questions on a computer screen.

Eligibility

• INCLUSION CRITERIA: Main Study

All participants must be:

        -under evaluation for another NIDA-IRP study or the NIDA CTN pilot portion of this study.
        Justification: data acquired under other studies will be compared to data collected in this
        protocol.
        -> 18 years of age. Justification: Some NIDA-IRP studies have included teens, aged 13 17,
        but no current studies include them so we will only include adults in this study for now.
        EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Main Study.
          -  History of neurological illnesses that per the study clinicians would be significant
             enough to impair ability to tolerate the procedure or alter neuronal activity,
             including but not limited to CVA, CNS tumor, head trauma with significant sequelae,
             Multiple Sclerosis or other demyelinating diseases, epilepsy, movement disorders, or
             migraine in treatment. Assessment tool: phone screen and history and physical (H and
             P). Rationale: Neurological illnesses may impair ability to tolerate the procedures
             and alter neuronal activity, adding noise to the data.
          -  Cognitive impairment (unless this population of subjects is included in another IRP
             protocol in which the subject is also participating). Assessment tool: self-report
             during H&P of special education classes, history of specific learning disability or
             mental retardation, validated IQ test, such as Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of
             Intelligence (WASI) or Shipley-2. Rationale: Cognitive impairment may impair ability
             to tolerate the procedures and alter neuronal activity, adding noise to the data.
          -  Current major mood, anxiety or psychotic disorder (unless this population of subjects
             is included in another IRP protocol in which the subject is also participating).
             Assessment tool: self-report, H&P, a structured or semi-structured psychiatric
             interview such as the computerized SCID with follow up clinical interview (or full
             interviewer-administered) and/or the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
             (M.I.N.I). Rationale: Current major mood or psychotic disorders may impair ability to
             tolerate the procedures and alter neuronal activity, adding noise to the data.
          -  Pregnancy. Assessment tool: Urine pregnancy test. Rationale: fMRI is not accepted as a
             safe procedure purely for research purposes during pregnancy.
          -  HIV -positive individuals. Assessment tool: oral HIV test with serum confirmation of
             positive results. Rationale: potential liver/metabolic/vascular disease can interfere
             with the physiological transduction mechanisms for fMRI (i.e. making the measurement
             unreliable).
          -  Unable to undergo MRI scanning due to possible pregnancy, metallic devices in the
             body, claustrophobia or body morphometry.
          -  Currently using respiratory, cardiovascular or anticonvulsant medications that may
             interfere with the BOLD MRI signal..
          -  Non-English speaking. Assessment tool(s): self-report. Rationale: To include
             non-English speakers, we would have to translate the consent and other study documents
             and hire and train bilingual staff, which would require resources that we do not have
             and could not justify given the small sample size for each experiment. Additionally,
             the data integrity of some of the cognitive tasks and standardized questionnaires used
             in this study would be compromised as they have only been validated in English. Most
             importantly, ongoing communication regarding safety procedures is necessary when
             participants are undergoing study procedures. The inability to effectively communicate
             safety procedures in a language other than English could compromise the safety of
             non-English speaking participants.
          -  Suspected or confirmed active SARS-CoV-2 infection. Assessment tool: 2019 Novel
             Coronavirus (COVID-19) patient screening tool administered by phone prior to
             participant arrival. The current version of the screening tool to be used is available
             at http://intranet.cc.nih.gov/hospitalepidemiology/emerging_infectious_diseases.html).
             Viral testing looking for SARS-CoV-2 in a specimen deemed appropriate by NIH such as
             nasopharyngeal or midturbinate swab. We reserve the right to change the specimen type
             as NIH approves new test procedures. This test may be carried out in-house at NIDA,
             NIH, at a community testing site or through a commercial vendor. Anyone with a
             positive symptom screen without a clear alternative explanation or a positive viral
             test will be excluded until they recover or (for asymptomatic cases) are no longer
             infectious. Additionally, participants will be asked about any lingering neurological
             and psychiatric symptoms such as difficulty with memory or concentration, changes in
             mood or new anxiety symptoms that may be a result of COVID- 19 exposure. The MAI will
             evaluate any lingering symptoms to determine whether the potential impact on data is
             compatible with continuing in the study. MAI will also retain the ability to exclude
             for a suspicious symptom screen without positive viral test. Rationale: Covid-19 is
             extremely infectious and can have serious consequences. Allowing participants with
             active infection would alter the risk:benefit ratio for non-treatment studies without
             a primary focus on SARS-CoV-2 to an unacceptable level of risk. In addition, Covid-19
             can have cognitive consequences which would add unnecessary noise to the study data.
             Screening and testing will continue as long as public health officials and/or NIDA
             medical personnel deem it appropriate.
          -  Other health conditions that would impact safety of participation or scientific
             integrity of data collection.
        Inclusion criteria: NIDA CTN Pilot Study
        All participants must:
          1. Either have a current DSM-5 diagnosis for at least one of the following substance use
             disorders: nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, opiate; or 2) no current DSM-5 substance use
             disorder (control participants). Justification: These criteria are consistent with the
             scope of this study to pilot this battery of tests for future use in similar
             populations enrolled in the NIDA CTN studies.
          2. Be greater than or equal to 18 years of age. Justification: The NIDA CTN will use this
             battery in adults.
        Exclusion criteria: NIDA CTN Pilot Study
          1. A DSM-5 major psychiatric diagnoses unrelated to a substance use disorder including
             but not limited to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Diagnoses secondary to
             substance use disorder will be allowable providing the participant s symptoms do not
             interfere with the ability to complete assessments. Assessment tool: self-report, H&P,
             structured or semi-structured psychiatric interview.
             Rationale: Current major mood or psychotic disorders may impair ability to complete
             the assessments and would add unnecessary noise to the data.
          2. Cognitive impairment. Assessment tool: self-report during H&P of special education
             classes, history of specific learning disability or mental retardation, WASI.
             Rationale: Cognitive impairment may impair ability to complete the assessments and
             would add unnecessary noise to the data.
          3. Non-English speaking. Assessment tool(s): self-report. Rationale: To include
             non-English speakers, we would have to translate the consent and other study documents
             and hire and train bilingual staff, which would require resources that we do not have
             and could not justify given the small sample size for each experiment. Additionally,
             the data integrity of some of the cognitive tasks and standardized questionnaires used
             in this study would be compromised as they have only been validated in English. Most
             importantly, ongoing communication regarding safety procedures is necessary when
             participants are undergoing study procedures. The inability to effectively communicate
             safety procedures in a language other than English could compromise the safety of
             non-English speaking participants.
          4. Suspected or confirmed active SARS-CoV-2 infection. Assessment tool: 2019 Novel
             Coronavirus (COVID-19) patient screening tool administered by phone prior to
             participant arrival. The current version of the screening tool to be used is available
             at http://intranet.cc.nih.gov/hospitalepidemiology/emerging_infectious_diseases.html).
             Viral testing looking for SARS-CoV-2 in a specimen deemed appropriate by NIH such as
             nasopharyngeal or mid- turbinate swab. We reserve the right to change the specimen
             type as NIH approves new test procedures. This test may be carried out in-house at
             NIDA, NIH, at a community testing site or through a commercial vendor. Anyone with a
             positive symptom screen without a clear alternative explanation or a positive viral
             test will be excluded until they recover or (for asymptomatic cases) are no longer
             infectious. MAI will also retain the ability to exclude for a suspicious symptom
             screen without positive viral test. Rationale: Covid-19 is extremely infectious and
             can have serious consequences. Allowing participants with active infection would alter
             the risk:benefit ratio for non- treatment studies without a primary focus on
             SARS-CoV-2 to an unacceptable level of risk. In addition, Covid-19 can have cognitive
             consequences which would add unnecessary noise to the study data. Testing will
             continue as long as public health officials and/or NIDA medical personnel deem it
             appropriate.