# Short-term Outcome of Stimulant Use Disorder Treatment Trials

> **NIH NIH R01** · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · 2024 · $403,206

## Abstract

Project Summary
Stimulant use disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders, impact the lives of millions of
Americans and are associated with significant health and social consequences. There are currently no FDA-
approved medications for treatment of stimulant use disorders. Most of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
to find effective medications have been of short duration, typically lasting 8-12 weeks, and had small sample
sizes. Attaining sustained abstinence from stimulants may require longer treatment and detecting these effects
may require larger samples. However, available trials can provide information on short-term outcomes of
treatment that are achieved earlier and less stringent than abstinence and, thus, help identify candidate
medications for future long-term and larger trials. Drug craving is probably the most promising of such short-
term outcomes. Stimulant use disorders are characterized by periods of heavy use followed by short periods of
abstinence with withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms last a few days and are followed by increasing drug
craving which often leads to relapse. Drug craving is a central phenomenon in these recurring cycles of drug
use. Nevertheless, little research has specifically focused on craving as an outcome of stimulant use disorder
or on reduction of craving as a mediator of abstinence or reduction in drug use. In the proposed project, we
plan to examine craving as an outcome of stimulant use disorder as well as a mediator for other outcomes.
More specifically, in Aim 1, we will compare the effect of 9 medications (in 11 RCTs) on stimulant drug craving.
In Aim 2, we will assess the association of change in craving during trial with change in other outcomes and
the potential mediating role of craving in the effect of treatments on these outcomes. In Aim 3 we will explore
the variations in the effects of medications and in the association of craving with other outcomes in subgroups
of patients. We propose to use individual participant data from 1,845 patients in 11 RCTs conducted in the
context of NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network (CTN) and related trials to accomplish these study Aims. The project
has the potential to significantly contribute to a better understanding of the role of craving in continued
stimulant use disorder and the potential effect of medications on stimulant use disorders as mediated by their
anti-craving qualities. Medications with anti-craving properties are currently used in treatment of nicotine and
alcohol use disorders and have shown promising results in treatment of stimulant use disorders. The project
also represents an efficient use of NIDA’s RCT data to answer new questions that were not addressed in the
original studies. The findings would help identify candidate medications for future adequately powered trials
based on the short-term anti-craving effects of candidate medications and contribute significantly to the
ongoing efforts to find effective medic...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11046075
- **Project number:** 7R01DA054700-03
- **Recipient organization:** TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
- **Principal Investigator:** RAMIN MOJTABAI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $403,206
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11046075

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11046075, Short-term Outcome of Stimulant Use Disorder Treatment Trials (7R01DA054700-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11046075. Licensed CC0.

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