Research at Butler Hospital

Our Research Programs

Affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Butler Hospital’s clinical research trials provide valuable information on brain-based diseases. Through our research, new treatments are being discovered for diseases including depression and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Alzheimer’s disease, Movement Disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, and addictions.

Location:

Butler Hospital
345 Blackstone Blvd.
Providence, RI 02906

Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)

A 2018 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to Butler Hospital established the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Neuromodulation, or CCN. 

Learn More About COBRE

Memory and Aging Program

An affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, MAP has a 20+ year history of excellence in clinical care, training, and cutting-edge research aimed at developing new and better ways to detect, treat, and someday even prevent Alzheimer’s.

Learn More About the Memory and Aging Program

Psychiatric Neurosurgery Program

Neurosurgical procedures can help patients suffering from treatment-resistant psychiatric and neurological conditions including OCD, depression, Tourette’s and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Learn More About the Psychiatric Neurosurgery Program

Explore Our Current Studies

Learn more about Butler Hospital's research relating to mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, memory disorders, movement disorders as well as other studies researching aspects of mental health. Follow the links below to view current studies.

Mood Disorders

COMPARE study

We want to compare two treatments for depression: a gentle, easy-to-do form and a talk therapy called behavior activation.

The MOOD Study

The purpose of this research is to evaluate whether a take-home, self-administered, neurostimulation device called Relivion®DP is safe and helpful for reducing symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). 

The Mood and Thought (MAT) Process Study

The purpose of this study is to look at how thoughts and emotions change during depression treatment. 

 

Esketamine- 4005: Research Study for Treatment Resistant Depression

The purpose of this study is to understand whether esketamine effectively treats treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as a monotherapy. 

Memory and Aging

AHEAD Study

A Phase III, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study with a treatment arm. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the investigational medication, BAN2401, or placebo.

BioFinder - Brown

This is an observational study to learn more about assessing potential risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using biomarker research.

 

 

Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network (DIAN)

A longitudinal, observational study for individuals in ADAD families. ADAD is a genetic mutation that typically causes memory loss and dementia in the 30s to 50s.

Janssen AuTonomy Trial

The purpose of the Janssen AuTonomy trial is to assess the ability of the investigational medication in slowing the cognitive decline in participants with Early AD, as well as its safety and tolerability.

Longitudinal Early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease Study (LEADS)

An observational study exploring the development of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and how it compares to the more common late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Repurposing Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors for the Treatment of AD (LINE-AD)

The purpose of this study is to look at the safety and tolerability of Emtricitabine (FTC, Emtriva©, Gilead) in treating participants with MCI or mild to moderate AD.

Addictions

Project THOUGHT

A study for individuals in early recovery from opioid use and taking the medication buprenorphine (suboxone). Participants will engage in 5 sessions of active or placebo transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS) during the course of this 2-week study.

Project Start

The goal of Project Start is to develop and evaluate different interventions aimed at increasing Disulfiram (Antabuse) medication adherence.

YOGA MAT

The Yoga MAT Study is testing a yoga intervention that involves 12 weeks of online yoga classes for people with chronic pain who are prescribed methadone or buprenorphine (Suboxone). 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Neural Underpinnings of Sequence Processing in OCD (Clinical Population)

The purpose of this study is to better understand how the brain works to allow people with OCD to make decisions and accomplish goals.

Neural Underpinnings of Sequence Processing in OCD (Control Population)

We are looking for healthy individuals with no psychiatric diagnoses to help us study how the brain works as it makes decisions to accomplish a goal. 

Project PROVOC

Project PROVOC is a research study investigating differences in brain circuitry between people with OCD and those with either a specific phobia or no history of psychiatric diagnosis.

Project FLEX: Studying the Flexible Brain

Project FLEX is a research study examining how the brain shifts back and forth between different demands, which may help researchers develop new treatment options for OCD. To do this, participants with and without OCD will be asked to engage in questionnaires, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a form of noninvasive brain stimulation.

Project FLEX: Studying the Flexible Brain in OCD

Project FLEX is a research study examining how the brain shifts back and forth between different demands, which may help researchers develop new treatment options for OCD. To do this, participants with and without OCD will be asked to engage in questionnaires, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a form of noninvasive brain stimulation.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for OCD

Project STIM is a research study testing how TMS may change brain activity and symptoms in people with OCD.

Project STIM for the Healthy Brain
Project STIM is seeking healthy individuals (without any medical or psychiatric disorders) to participate as “healthy comparisons” in our Project STIM study group. 
Core Features
The Core Features study will utilize interviews, self-report questionnaires, computerized tasks, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to better explain certain concepts as they relate to OCD and anxiety disorders.

Other

The COVID Decisions Study

A study examining factors that may have influenced a decision whether or not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while pregnant.

Project TIPS (TMS-Induced Plasticity of the Synapse)

Determining whether TMS changes the brain through synaptic plasticity.

Project EPIC
Project EPIC is a research study that is investigating the brain regions responsible for inhibitory control, and whether these regions can be changed using non-invasive brain stimulation.
Project Rise in PTSD

Research Investigating Stimulation for Extinction in PTSD.

Blood-Brain Barrier: MRI Research Study for Healthy Volunteers

We are looking for healthy volunteers with no psychiatric diagnoses to help us compare to those with Major Depressive Disorder.