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NCT Number: NCT05142267

Stress and Opioid Misuse Risk: The Role of Endogenous Opioid and Endocannabinoid Mechanisms

The purpose of this study is to see how stress influences the effects of opioid pain medications often used to help relieve back pain. The study will help to learn more about how high stress levels could increase risk for pain medication misuse.

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Key information

Conditions

Opioid Use Disorder Back Pain Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Narcotic-Related Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Opioid-Related Disorders Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Stress Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Stephen Bruehl, PhD

CONTACT

About this study

The purpose of this project is to advance mechanistic knowledge of how stress impacts differential opioid analgesic responses that enhance risk for opioid use disorder (OUD), potentially informing development of data-driven precision pain medicine algorithms to mitigate opioid related risks.

The study aims to determine whether subjective and physiological stress-related measures are associated with analgesic and misuse-relevant subjective responses to placebo-controlled oxycodone administration. The study also aims to evaluate associations between stress-related measures and both endogenous opioid (EO) function and endocannabinoid (EC) levels and to test whether EO and EC mechanisms contribute to associations between stress-related measures and oxycodone responses

Using a mixed between/within-subject design, the study will obtain baseline assessment of stress related markers followed by 3 laboratory sessions with assessment of endocannabinoids, back pain assessment, and exposure to standardized evoked pain stimuli after administration of placebo, naloxone, and oxycodone.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Intact cognitive status and ability to provide informed consent
  • Ability to read and write in English sufficiently to understand and complete study questionnaires (which are only validated in English)
  • Age 18 or older And
  • Presence of persistent daily low back pain of at least three months duration and of at least a 3/10 in average intensity

Exclusion criteria

  • History of renal or hepatic dysfunction
  • Reports of current or past alcohol or substance abuse or treatment for such condition
  • A reported history of PTSD, psychotic, or bipolar disorders
  • Chronic pain due to malignancy (e.g., cancer) or autoimmune disorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
  • Reports of recent benzodiazepine use (confirmed via rapid urine screening prior to each lab session)
  • Any medical conditions (e.g., significant cardiovascular disease) that the study physician feels would contraindicate participation in the lab stressors
  • Reported daily opiate use within the past 6 months, or use of any opioid analgesic medications within 3 days of study participation (confirmed through rapid urine screening prior to each lab session)
  • Pregnancy (females only, to avoid fetal drug exposure - pregnancy tests conducted prior to each lab session to confirm eligibility)
  • Prior allergic reaction/intolerance to oxycodone or its analogs

Treatment and study plan

Placebo

Drug

In randomized order (crossover) across 3 laboratory sessions, participants will undergo laboratory evoked thermal pain response testing with: 1) 0.13 mg/kg of oral oxycodone (in 1mg/ml syrup) plus 20ml i.v. saline placebo, 2) 8mg of i.v. naloxone (in 20ml saline vehicle) plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume), or 3) 20ml i.v. saline placebo plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume).

Thermal pain testing utilizes a Medoc TSAII NeuroSensory Analyzer. This equipment is used to assess heat pain threshold and tolerance using an ascending method of limits protocol.

Other names: normal saline placebo

Oxycodone

Drug

In randomized order (crossover) across 3 laboratory sessions, participants will undergo laboratory evoked thermal pain response testing with: 1) 0.13 mg/kg of oral oxycodone (in 1mg/ml syrup) plus 20ml i.v. saline placebo, 2) 8mg of i.v. naloxone (in 20ml saline vehicle) plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume), or 3) 20ml i.v. saline placebo plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume).

Thermal pain testing utilizes a Medoc TSAII NeuroSensory Analyzer. This equipment is used to assess heat pain threshold and tolerance using an ascending method of limits protocol.

naloxone

Drug

In randomized order (crossover) across 3 laboratory sessions, participants will undergo laboratory evoked thermal pain response testing with: 1) 0.13 mg/kg of oral oxycodone (in 1mg/ml syrup) plus 20ml i.v. saline placebo, 2) 8mg of i.v. naloxone (in 20ml saline vehicle) plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume), or 3) 20ml i.v. saline placebo plus oral placebo syrup (quantity matching oxycodone syrup volume).

Thermal pain testing utilizes a Medoc TSAII NeuroSensory Analyzer. This equipment is used to assess heat pain threshold and tolerance using an ascending method of limits protocol.

Other names: narcan

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean change in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of low back pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of low back pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition (across 2 testing days). The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents most intense pain. Positive change values indicate decreased pain responsiveness post intervention.

  2. Mean DELTA Drug Liking subscale scores in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: One 1 laboratory assessment day

    Mean DELTA Drug Liking subscale scores in the oxycodone condition. The DELTA Drug Liking subscale consists of a single item asking about overall perceived drug liking. The 1-5 scale is anchored with 1 representing dislike a lot and 5 representing like a lot.

  3. Composite measure of changes in MPQ-2 ratings of low back pain from the placebo to naloxone condition (standardized) plus plasma levels of endocannabinoids (standardized)

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Composite measure of changes in MPQ-2 ratings of low back pain from the placebo to naloxone condition (standardized) plus plasma levels of endocannabinoids (standardized). More negative standardized values will indicate low levels of endogenous pain inhibition and more positive levels will indicate high levels of endogenous pain inhibition.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean changes in MPQ-2 ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in MPQ-2 ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition. The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents most intense pain. Positive change values indicate decreased pain responsiveness.

  2. Mean changes in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) intensity ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in VAS intensity ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition. The score is a rating of current acute pain using a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = "no pain" and 100 = "worst possible pain")

  3. Mean changes in MPQ-2 ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in MPQ-2 ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition. The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents most intense pain. Positive change values indicate decreased pain responsiveness.

  4. Mean changes in VAS intensity ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in VAS intensity ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to oxycodone condition. The score is a rating of current acute pain using a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = "no pain" and 100 = "worst possible pain")

  5. DELTA Take Again subscale scores in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: 1 laboratory assessment day (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean oxycodone condition Take Again (DELTA subscale) score. The score ranges from 1-5 where 1 represents definitely would not and 5 represents definitely would. Positive values indicate decreased overall drug effects post intervention.

  6. Mean Delta Effects subscale in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: 1 laboratory assessment day (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean oxycodone condition Effects (DELTA) -Drug Effect subscale ratings. The score ranges from 1-5 where 1 represents no effect and 5 represents very strong effect. Positive values indicate decreased overall drug effects post intervention.

  7. Mean VAS Opioid Euphoria subscale in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: 1 laboratory assessment day (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean oxycodone condition VAS Opioid Effects-Euphoria subscale ratings. The score ranges from 0-300 where 0 means no euphoria and 300 means most euphoria possible. Positive values indicate greater euphoria.

  8. Mean VAS Opioid Unpleasantness subscale in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: 1 laboratory assessment day (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean oxycodone condition VAS Opioid Effects-Unpleasantness subscale ratings. The score ranges from 0-300 where 0 means no unpleasantness and 300 means the most unpleasantness possible. Positive values indicate greater perceived unpleasantness.

  9. Mean VAS Opioid Sedation subscale in the oxycodone condition

    Time frame: 1 laboratory assessment day (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean oxycodone condition VAS Opioid Effects-Sedation subscale ratings. The score ranges from 0-300 where 0 means no sedation and 300 means the most sedation possible. Positive values indicate greater sedation.

  10. Mean change in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of low back pain from the placebo to naloxone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of low back pain from the placebo to naloxone condition. The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most intense pain. Positive change values indicate greater endogenous opioid pain inhibition .

  11. Mean change in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition. The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most intense pain. Positive change values indicate greater endogenous opioid pain inhibition.

  12. Mean changes in VAS intensity ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in VAS intensity ratings of ischemic task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition. The VAS score is a rating of ischemic task pain using a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = "no pain" and 100 = "worst possible pain"). Positive change values indicate greater endogenous opioid pain inhibition.

  13. Mean change in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2) ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition. The MPQ-2 score ranges from 0-10 where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most intense pain. Positive change values indicate greater endogenous opioid pain inhibition

  14. Mean changes in VAS intensity ratings of heat task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition

    Time frame: Across 2 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean within participant changes in VAS intensity ratings of thermal task pain from the placebo to naloxone condition. The VAS score is a rating of ischemic task pain using a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = "no pain" and 100 = "worst possible pain"). Positive change values indicate greater endogenous opioid pain inhibition.

  15. Mean plasma levels of endocannabinoids

    Time frame: Across 3 laboratory assessment days (an expected average of 15 day period)

    Mean plasma levels of endocannabinoids

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Gail Mayo

CONTACT

[email protected]

615-936-1705

Stephen Bruehl, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

615-936-1821

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Dec 2, 2021
Registry last updated
Oct 21, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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