Interested in participating? We are currently recruiting participants for our research studies!
See below for more information:
Individuals with chronic low back pain
What we are studying: We are studying the effects of cannabidiol, or CBD, compared to placebo, on reducing inflammation in the brain and pain symptoms in individuals with chronic low back pain. Cannabidiol is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant, and is considered to be a safe, non-addictive substance
Who can participate: People between the ages of 18 and 75 who have a chronic low back pain diagnosis, verified by medical record, and are on a stable pain treatment prior and during the study.
What you may be asked to do: Participants may be asked to take EPIDIOLEX or placebo for 4 weeks, attend all study visits, and complete a daily survey to assess the effect of the medication on their pain, mental health, sleep quality, fatigue, and other measures. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw, Survey.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $770 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/cbdbackpain
Individuals living with HIV
What we are studying: We are studying inflammation in the brain of people living with HIV. We are especially interested in how neuropathic pain, or pain from a distressed nervous system, affects your inflammation. Neuropathic pain is a common component of living with HIV. We are also interested in how routine prescription opioid usage affects HIV-related pain. HIV+ persons without opioids or neuropathic pain are still eligible for the study.
Who can participate: People between the ages of 35 and 80 who have been clinically diagnosed as HIV positive and have been on a stable antiretroviral medication for at least 6 months.
What you may be asked to do: Participants may be asked to complete questionnaires, participate in cognitive testing, undergo MRI and PET imaging, give up to 6 tablespoons of blood for testing, and participate in quantitative sensory testing. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw, Survey.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $425 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/hope
Individuals with breast cancer
What we are studying: In this research study we want to learn more about the impact of chronic pain on the brain, during the treatment of aromatase inhibitors, which are medications used for the treatment of several conditions, including breast cancer. We would like to find out if the brains of people with chronic (long-lasting) joint / muscle pain are different from individuals who do not develop pain during the treatment of aromatase inhibitors. We will use the MR-PET scanner to take pictures of the brain.
Who can participate: Postmenopausal women, up to 75 years old, who have been diagnosed with stage I, II, and IIIa breast cancer and have been receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (i.e., anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane) for at least 6 months.
What you may be asked to do: Eligible participants will be asked to come to the MGH Martinos Center for a 2.5-3 hour screening visit (or a remote/virtual screening visit), which may include a blood test, urine drug test, brief history and physical exam, and some questionnaires and assessments. Eligible participants will be asked to return for one imaging visit, during which a 2-hour MR-PET scan will take place. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $300 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/mghaimss
Individuals with migraine
What we are studying: The purpose of this study is to look at a possible treatment for people diagnosed with migraine. All participants will complete an 8-week stress reduction program to help manage migraine and wear a medical device in the ear (tVNS) for 40-60 minutes a day. We would like to find out how both the stress reduction program and wearing a medical device in the ear every day might affect blood flow and inflammation in the brain. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or irritation, which might be overactive in people who have migraine.
Who can participate: People between the ages of 18 and 65 who have a migraine diagnosis and are willing to attend weekly treatment sessions for 8 weeks.
What you may be asked to do: You will have a total of 31 visits spread out over 6 months. Additionally, we will ask you complete daily diaries of your migraine symptoms for the entire study. These diaries are online and will be available to you each day using a web-browser from either your phone or a computer. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw, Survey, Personal health tracking.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $1330 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/migrainerelief
Healthy volunteers (35-80)
What we are studying: We are recruiting healthy controls as a comparison group to complement our study on pain brain imaging. To this end, we are looking to scan healthy controls with advanced imaging techniques such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography).
Who can participate: People between the ages of 35 and 80 who are relatively healthy (without major medical conditions).
What you may be asked to do: Participants may be asked to undergo a blood draw, cognitive testing, answer questionnaires, MRI/PET imaging, and perform quantitative sensory testing. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $425 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/hopehc
Healthy volunteers (18-65)
What we are studying: We would like to find out how a combination treatment in migraine patients might affect blood flow to different parts of the brain and/or inflammation in the brain. We are asking you to take part in this study because you are a healthy volunteer.
Who can participate: Women between the ages of 18 and 65 who are relatively healthy (without major medical conditions), and have no history of migraine, or first degree relatives with a history of migraine.
What you may be asked to do: You will have a total of 4 visits spread out over 7 weeks. Additionally, we will ask you complete daily diaries to track your sleep and headaches for 4 weeks. These diaries are online and will be available to you each day using a web-browser from either your phone or a computer. Project activities may include: Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan, PET scan, Blood draw, Survey, Personal health tracking.
What you may get: Participants may be compensated up to $425 for their engagement in this study.
Express your interest here: https://rally.massgeneralbrigham.org/study/migrainerelief_healthy