Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

The Mind Research Network

Code:

NCT05845333

Conditions

Stimulant Abuse

Criminal Behavior

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 18 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Decision task

Study Details

Brief summary:

Substance use disorders and psychopathy are serious and costly mental health issues. Psychopathy is known to be associated with aberrant moral decision making and there is considerable interest in determining whether substance use disorders lead to impairments in these same cognitive processes. Recent large-scale research initiatives in forensic settings have begun to identify substance abuse and psychopathy-related disruption in the neural mechanisms involved in moral decision-making processes, and associations between these neural networks and future relapse and antisocial behavior. Here the investigators extend prior work (with incarcerated men) to examine these issues among incarcerated women in order to better understand sex differences. This project addresses the overall lack of neurocognitive research in criminal offenders with substance use disorders, thereby focusing on a major public health issue in an underserved and understudied population.

Conditions

Stimulant Abuse

Criminal Behavior

Study ID

NCT05845333

Start date

Aug 1, 2022

Status verified date

May, 2025

Completion date

May 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 18 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Biological sex is female
  • Intelligence Quotient 70 or higher
  • Reading level 5th grade or higher
  • Able to speak and understand English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Uncorrectable auditory or visual deficits
  • Currently pregnant
  • MRI contraindication
  • Central nervous system disease
  • Current major medical condition
  • Hypertension with complications (e.g., stroke)
  • Diabetes with complications
  • Lifetime history of psychotic disorder
  • Self-report of psychotic disorder (with psychiatric hospitalization) in first degree relative
  • Drug use in past three months

(Healthy controls only):

  • History of arrest
  • Substance use beyond light alcohol or marijuana use
  • Currently taking psychotropic medications

Study Design

Enrollment

334 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

Stimulant Use Severity High

Stimulant Use Severity Medium

Stimulant Use Severity Low

Psychopathic Traits High

Psychopathic Traits Medium

Psychopathic Traits Low

Community (Healthy) Controls

Interventions

Decision task

Participants will complete a simple and/or moral decision making functional MRI task.

Primary outcome measure

  • Gray matter volume during MRI scan & stimulant use [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • White matter integrity during MRI scan & stimulant use [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & stimulant use during simple linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & stimulant use during simple picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & stimulant use during moral linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & stimulant use during moral picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & stimulant use during simple linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & stimulant use during simple picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & stimulant use during moral linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & stimulant use during moral picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Gray matter volume during MRI scan & psychopathic traits [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • White matter integrity during MRI scan & psychopathic traits [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during simple linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during simple picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during moral linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional brain response during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during moral picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during simple linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during simple picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during moral linguistic decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Functional connectivity during MRI scan & psychopathic traits during moral picture decision task [ Time Frame: During MRI procedure ]
  • Relapse to/change in stimulant use post-release [ Time Frame: Every 3 months post release for duration of grant (5 years) ]
  • Return to/change in antisocial behavior post-release [ Time Frame: Every 3 months post release for duration of grant (5 years) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Carla Harenski

505-272-5028charenski@mrn.org

Locations

The Mind Research Network

Recruiting

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87106

Contacts

Carla Harenski

505-272-5028charenski@mrn.org

More Information

Sponsor

The Mind Research Network

Last update posted

May 8, 2025

Last verified

May, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by The Mind Research Network on 2025-05-08.