Mindfulness-based therapy may reshape brain responses to opioid cues during addiction treatment
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a behavioral therapy used alongside medication treatment, may help people with opioid use disorder respond differently to drug-related cues and natural rewards, according to a randomized clinical trial led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The findings offer insight into how MORE may reduce opioid craving and support…
A randomized clinical trial conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has found that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a behavioral therapy used alongside medication treatment, may help individuals with opioid use disorder respond differently to drug-related cues and natural rewards.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, utilized brain imaging to examine the effects of MORE on the prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in regulating behavior, decision-making, and reward evaluation. After eight weeks, participants who received MORE demonstrated changes in brain activity associated with reduced cravings and improved abstinence rates compared to those receiving a comparison therapy.
MORE combines mindfulness training, cognitive reappraisal, and savoring to reduce the influence of drug-related cues while strengthening responses to natural rewards. The findings suggest that prefrontal function in addiction is not fixed, and recovery of brain function is possible through behavioral treatments.
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