Effects of Opioids on Brain and Caregiving Behaviors of New Moms
James Swain, MD, PhD, a clinician-scientist of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and the Department of Psychology at Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University has received a $3.5 million federal grant to study how the brain governs maternal caregiving/behaviors for mothers undergoing buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.
The grant, which began on September 30, 2019, has been extended to end in 2026 and has been awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The research is titled, “Opioids and maternal brain-behavior adaptation during the early postpartum” (1R01 DA-047336-01).
The study will compare a group of postpartum women with opioid use disorder to a group of women who suffer matching levels of depression without opioid use disorder.
New Grant Award: R33 Clinical Trial of Mom Power for Mothers with OUD
We’re pleased to share that our R33 has been approved for a randomized clinical trial of the group psychotherapy Mom Power for mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD), paired with pre/post neuroimaging (ERP & fMRI).
Learn more: NIH RePORTER project page
About the study
This R33 supports an R01-sized randomized controlled trial evaluating how Mom Power impacts both brain function and behavioral health outcomes in mothers with OUD.
Built on a successful R61 pilot (milestones met):
- Feasibility of enrollment and intervention delivery
- Acquisition of pre- and post-intervention ERP and fMRI data
- Significant improvements observed in craving, depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside ERP/fMRI changes following the intervention
Recent grants:
NIDA/NIH R01:
Opioids and Maternal Brain-Behavior Adaptation During the Early Postpartum
Supplement award:
Violence Across the Lifespan - Opioids Maternal Brain
Clinical Trial:
Postpartum Intervention for Mothers with Opioid Use Disorders - Brain-Behavior Mechanisms