Note: This study is currently only recruiting patients in the hospital.

If you are interested in being notified if this study begins recruiting from the general population, please use the 'I Am Interested' button below.

Join Us For A Research Study on HIV!

If you are between the ages of 18 and 80, and have been diagnosed with HIV, then you may be eligible for this research study. Participation involves 2 - 3 total visits for imaging studies.

Massachusetts General Hospital HIV
2 visits over 1 month
Estimated Time Commitment
Any Sex/Gender, 18-80 years
May Be Eligible
Payment up to $575
May Be Offered
PET scan, Survey, Blood draw, Injection or IV, Office visit, MRI scan
May Be Required
 
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This project is not recruiting.

Overview

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. 


Why it is important

This is important to understand how opioid use can affect a patient's level of HIV-related pain. Normally opioids are used to suppress pain from various disorders, but research has shown that chronic opioid usage may exacerbate pain. By looking into the brain with tools like MRI and PET imaging, we are trying to establish a link between neuropathic pain, opioids, and HIV. 


What we hope to accomplish

If you participate in the study, we may accomplish some or all of the following items: blood draws to assess the status of your HIV, quantitive sensory testing to establish pain thresholds, questionnaires to evaluate psychology, and brain imaging with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). An optional scan with a stronger MRI machine is available. 

Principal Investigator

Marco L Loggia, PhD

Massachusetts General Hospital

Public Profile

Who can participate

To participate in this study, you must be:



  • Between ages of 18 and 80

  • Able to give written informed consent

  • Clinically diagnosed as HIV positive

  • On stable antiretroviral medication for at least 3 months


Additionally, you should be ONE of the following THREE:



  1. history of neuropathic pain, WITHOUT chronic opioid use in the last year

  2. history of neuropathic pain, WITH chronic opioid use (defined as >90 days of continuous use with at least 10 prescriptions and/or 120 days of non-continuous use)

  3. No neuropathic pain, but still HIV positive

Who cannot participate

You cannot participate in this study if any of these describe you:



  • Have contraindications to MRI and PET scanning, such as pacemakers, metallic particles in your body, or prosthetic heart valves

  • Current or past history of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric disorders unless resolved

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding

  • Have a history of head trauma resulting in active presentation of trauma-related symptoms

  • Current unmanaged viral or bacterial infections other than HIV

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:

  • PET scan
  • Survey
  • Blood draw
  • Injection or IV
  • Office visit
  • MRI scan

Estimated Time Commitment

2 visits over 1 month

What You May Get

All participants are eligible to receive up to $575 for taking part in this study, depending on the number of optional procedures the participant elects in to. 

Location

Building 149
149 13th St, Charlestown, MA 02129

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Travel

  • Local travel reimbursed
  • Accessible by public transportation
  • Parking available
  • Parking reimbursed
  • Out of state travel possibly reimbursed

Travel and Parking Details

Located at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 149 is accessible by the Partners Shuttle from North Station. If you plan on driving here, we would reimburse you for the cost of parking here. We may also reimburse you for ride-sharing expenses here (such as Uber and Lyft). 

Additional Information

Project Website

https://scholar.harvard.edu/loggia


Participating Institutions


Funding Source

  • NIH or Other Federal
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