Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces drug abuse.
Yi-Yuan Tang, Rongxiang Tang, Michael I Posner
Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.041 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy and addicted populations, including smokers and nonsmokers |
| Intervention | relaxation training |
| Measures | Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Profile of Mood States (POMS), salivary cortisol, fMRI, DTI |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain mechanism Emotion regulation Implusivity Mindfulness meditation Reduction of addiction Self-control |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness training (IBMT) improved emotion regulation and stress reduction in smokers and nonsmokers, and these changes were related to increased ACC/mPFC activity. Smokers showed reduced ACC/mPFC activity before training compared with nonsmokers, and these deficits were ameliorated after training, suggesting that promoting emotion regulation and ACC/mPFC activity may help prevent and treat addiction. |
Abstract
The core clinical symptoms of addiction include an enhanced incentive for drug taking (craving), impaired self-control (impulsivity and compulsivity), emotional dysregulation (negative mood) and increased stress reactivity. Symptoms related to impaired self-control involve reduced activity in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), adjacent prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other brain areas. Behavioral training such as mindfulness meditation can increase the function of control networks including those leading to improved emotion regulation and thus may be a promising approach for the treatment of addiction. In a series of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we tested whether increased ACC/mPFC activity is related to better self-control abilities in executive functions, emotion regulation and stress response in healthy and addicted populations. After a brief mindfulness training (Integrative Body-Mind Training, IBMT), we used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure emotion regulation, salivary cortisol for the stress response and fMRI for brain functional and DTI structural changes. Relaxation training was used to serve as an active control. In both smokers and nonsmokers, improved self-control abilities in emotion regulation and stress reduction were found after training and these changes were related to increased ACC/mPFC activity following training. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers showed reduced ACC/mPFC activity in the self-control network before training, and these deficits were ameliorated after training. These results indicate that promoting emotion regulation and improving ACC/mPFC brain activity can help for addiction prevention and treatment.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 39
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Psychedelics and the new behaviourism: considering the integration of third-wave behaviour therapies with psychedelic-assisted therapy International Review of Psychiatry July 4, 2018
- A Mixed-Method Analysis of Persisting Effects Associated with Positive Outcomes Following Ibogaine Detoxification. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2018
- Meditation-induced effects on whole-brain structural and effective connectivity Brain Structure and Function May 6, 2022
- Spiritual experiences are related to engagement of a ventral frontotemporal functional brain network: Implications for prevention and treatment of behavioral and substance addictions Journal of Behavioral Addictions December 1, 2019
and 34 more in the library
Cites 12
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
and 7 more in the library