Mindfulness-based therapy modulates default-mode network connectivity in patients with opioid dependence.
Reham Fahmy, Maha Wasfi, Rania Mamdouh, Kareem Moussa, Ahmed Wahba, Mike M. Schmitgen, Katharina M Kubera, Nadine D. Wolf, Fabio Sambataro, Robert Christian Wolf
European Neuropsychopharmacology May 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.03.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Opiate-dependent patients |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based therapy |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation Addiction |
| Keywords | Functional MRI Opiate dependence |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based therapy during the first month of opiate abstinence is associated with decreased connectivity in the right inferior frontal cortex within the anterior default mode network and increased mindfulness scores compared to treatment as usual. |
Abstract
Recently, mindfulness-based programs have shown promising clinical effects in the treatment of substance-use disorders (SUD). While several studies linked mindfulness to decreased default mode network (DMN) connectivity in meditators, only a few studies investigated its effects in patients with SUD. This study aimed to detect changes in DMN connectivity in opiate dependent patients receiving mindfulness based therapy (MBT) during their first month of treatment. Data from 32 patients that were assigned to MBT or treatment as usual (TAU) groups was investigated using resting-state functional MRI at 1.5 T before and after four weeks of treatment. Independent Component Analysis was used to investigate distinct (anterior vs. posterior) DMN subsystems. Connectivity changes after treatment were related to measures of impulsivity, distress tolerance and mindfulness. Increased mindfulness scores after treatment were found in patients receiving MBT compared to TAU. Within the anterior DMN, decreased right inferior frontal cortical connectivity was detected in patients who received MBT compared to TAU. In addition, within the MBT-group decreased right superior frontal cortex connectivity was detected after treatment. Inferior frontal cortex function was significantly associated with mindfulness measures. The data suggest that MBT can be useful during abstinence from opiates. In opiate-dependent patients distinct functional connectivity changes within the DMN are associated with MBT.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, task-free fMRI study | n = 30 |
| The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers | 2014 | Placebo-controlled study | |
| Ketamine Decreases Resting State Functional Network Connectivity in Healthy Subjects: Implications for Antidepressant Drug Action Healthy subjects | 2012 | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover rsfMRI challenge | |
| Antidepressants Normalize the Default Mode Network in Patients With Dysthymia Subjects with dysthymic disorder and healthy control participants aged 18 to 53 years | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Functional Connectivity Measures After Psilocybin Inform a Novel Hypothesis of Early Psychosis Healthy volunteers | 2012 | Within-subject, placebo-controlled experimental study | n = 15 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Mindfulness meditation increases default mode, salience, and central executive network connectivity Scientific Reports August 2, 2022
- Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated With Sahaja Yoga Meditation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 16, 2021
- The Longitudinal Mediating Effect of Distress Tolerance in a Mindfulness-Based Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies September 1, 2023
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy on the Level of Anxiety and Quality of Life in Women with Opioid Use Disorder فصلنامه علمی و پژوهشی اعتیادپژوهی May 1, 2022
- Do mindfulness-based interventions change brain function in people with substance dependence? A systematic review of the fMRI evidence. BMC Psychiatry June 7, 2023
Cites 26
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
and 21 more in the library