Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement in opioid use disorder: Extended emotional regulation and neural effects and immediate effects of guided meditation in a pilot sample.
Suchismita Ray, Jamil Bhanji, Nicole R Kennelly, Helen C Fox, Patricia Dooley-Budsock, Mauricio Delgado, Nina A Cooperman, Eric L Garland
Explore 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.11.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Female participants in residential treatment for opioid use disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Keywords | Connectivity Emotion Women FMRI |
| Key points | An 8-week MORE intervention significantly decreased emotional regulation difficulty and increased functional connectivity in affect regulation brain networks during meditation, while a single 10-minute guided meditation improved mood but not opioid craving. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an efficacious intervention to aid recovery from substance use disorder. This study in a pilot sample of individuals in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) characterizes longer-term changes after the MORE intervention and immediate effects of a brief MORE guided meditation session. Twelve female participants in residential treatment for OUD completed an 8-week MORE intervention. Participants completed two sessions: one before and one after the 8-week MORE intervention. Each session included an emotional regulation questionnaire outside an MRI scanner first and then a 10-minute guided MORE meditation inside the scanner during which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected. Emotional regulation was measured after 8-weeks of MORE intervention. In addition, functional connectivity (i.e. correlated fMRI signal) between regions in a hypothesized affect regulation network was measured during the meditation state to assess change in brain network function due to 8-weeks of MORE. For each 10-min guided meditation, we also assessed their mood and opioid craving. Nine participants completed all measurements. Participants' emotional regulation difficulty significantly decreased after 8-weeks of MORE intervention. Furthermore, after 8-weeks of MORE, there was significantly increased connectivity between left ventromedial prefrontal cortex and left amygdala and between left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left nucleus accumbens captured during a meditation state. In both sessions, positive mood significantly increased after 10-min of guided mediation, however opioid craving was not significantly influenced. This pilot study characterizes potential benefits of 8-week MORE intervention in improving emotional regulation difficulty and brain function. A 10-min guided MORE meditation may immediately improve mood, with potential to reduce acute stress- or cue-provoked craving. These results warrant future studies with larger sample size.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Psychiatrically healthy nicotine-dependent smokers | 2014 | Open-label pilot study | n = 15 |
| Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction Smokers | 2015 | Open-label pilot study | n = 15 |
| Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy (KPT): A Review of the Results of Ten Years of Research Alcoholic patients | 1997 | Controlled clinical trial | n = 211 |
| First study of safety and tolerability of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in patients with alcohol use disorder. Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) following community alcohol detoxification | 2021 | Open-label safety and tolerability proof-of-concept study | n = 14 |
| The Psychedelic Debriefing in Alcohol Dependence Treatment: Illustrating Key Change Phenomena through Qualitative Content Analysis of Clinical Sessions Participants in a psilocybin-assisted treatment study for alcohol dependence | 2018 | Open-label pilot (proof-of-concept) study with qualitative content analysis | n = 17 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mindfulness-based interventions for opioid misuse: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment July 30, 2026
- Mindfulness‐Oriented Recovery Enhancement: Implementing an evidence‐based intervention for chronic pain, opioid use, and opioid addiction in clinical settings British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology July 24, 2024
Cites 2
- Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement reduces opioid craving, pain, and negative affect among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy: An analysis of within- and between-person state effects. Behaviour Research and Therapy February 28, 2022
- A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement as an Adjunct to Methadone Treatment for People with Opioid Use Disorder and Chronic Pain: Impact on Illicit Drug Use, Health, and Well-Being Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment May 8, 2021