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Laboratory of Biological Dynamics and Theoretical Medicine: 

Recruitment for ongoing studies

Call (858) 534-9442 for General Information

If you are interested in participating in ongoing study follow the links below:

 

 Brain Processing of Optimal Performers

The OptiBrain Center is a consortium of investigators from University of California San Diego, the Naval Health Research Center, the Olympic Training Center and the Naval Special Warfare Center, San Diego, CA. OptiBrain researchers are dedicated to uncovering the brain mechanisms that are important for optimal performance in extreme environments. To this end, the Center is conducting a study to determine how the brains of individuals respond to different types of mental and physical challenges.


This study will use functional brain imaging and simple tasks to find whether people who are extremely successful in difficult situation have a unique “brain processing signature”. Understanding how the brain function in extremely successful individuals will help us to develop new training techniques and to identify other individuals who may also perform extremely well.

We are asking for about 2 hours of an individual's time to help with these research studies. During this time the person will complete a questionnaires about how he/she feels, the person will be asked to complete a simple task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity. Some individuals find that the fMRI machine is rather noisy, but there is no radiation or other adverse effects from the imaging machine. During the scan the person will perform 2 simple behavioral test and the person will be ask to breathe through a tube, which at times will be connected to a resistor that makes it more difficult to breathe. At no point will there be any challenge to the person's physical health. During these tests, we will record how the person's brain activity changes as a function of these challenges. At the end, the individual will receive a picture of his/her brain image at the end of the study. Most importantly, the individual's identity will be kept anonymous, that is, nobody will be able to identify a specific brain activity with a particular person. Instead, all analysis will be done on groups of individuals.

 

 

 

 

Anxiety Research Study:

See here

 

Healthy Volunteers for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study:CoolBrain.gif (38961 bytes)

Dr. Martin P. Paulus and his associates from the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD and the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, are studying how healthy volunteers make decisions.  We use simple computer tasks to tell how people organize their behavior around making choices.  We are also studying which parts of the brain are used in decision-making.  For this research study, we are asking people with methamphetamine dependence to perform simple computer tasks while we record their brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Male or Female between the ages of 18 and 55.

  • No anxiety, depression or other mental problems.

  • No history of problems with drugs or alcohol .

  • No serious past head injuries

  • No serious medical problems.

 

For more information contact:

Heather Donovan

(858) 534 9442

hdonovan@ucsd.edu

 

Methamphetamine dependent fMRI research study:

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Dr. Martin P. Paulus and his associates from the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD and the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, are studying how people who are dependent on methamphetamines make decisions.  We use simple computer tasks to tell how people organize their behavior around making choices.  We are also studying which parts of the brain are used in decision-making.  For this research study, we are asking people with methamphetamine dependence to perform simple computer tasks while we record their brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Methamphetamines as your primary drug of use

  • Clean for 14 – 30 days

  • NO major medical problems

  • NO history of mental illness

For more information contact:

 

Carlyn Eidt

(858) 246-0624

ceidt@ucsd.edu

Stimulant User Study
  Martin P. Paulus and his associates from the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD and the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, are studying how people who are casually or recreationally use stimulants (e.g. Ritalin, Adderal, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine) make decisions and how brain areas that are important for decision-making are affected by the use of stimulants.  For this research study, we are asking people who are using stimulants to perform simple computer tasks while we record their brain activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

If you would like to participate you should meet the following qualifications

  • Use of stimulants at least twice over the past 6 months
  • No major medical problems
  • No significant emotional or mental health problems.

For more information contact:

Carlyn Eidt

(858) 246-0624

ceidt@ucsd.edu

 
   
 

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last edited: 05/22/2009