Mindfulness-based relapse prevention combined with virtual reality cue exposure for methamphetamine use disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Xi Jing Chen, Dong Mei Wang, Li Dan Zhou, Markus Winkler, Paul Pauli, Nan Sui, Yong Hui Li
Contemporary Clinical Trials July 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.04.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial (parallel-group, three-arm; study protocol) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 180 |
| Population | People with methamphetamine use disorder |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) Virtual reality cue exposure (VRCE) Treatment as usual |
| Duration | 8 weeks of treatment, with follow-up at 3 and 6 months |
| Measures | Craving, virtual cue reactivity, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, mindfulness, drug-related attention bias |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Keywords | Cue exposure Methamphetamine addiction Randomized controlled trial Virtual reality |
| Key findings | The protocol proposes that combining mindfulness-based relapse prevention with virtual reality cue exposure may reduce craving and improve emotional responses in people with methamphetamine use disorder more than MBRP alone or treatment as usual, and argues the combined approach could be clinically useful, easy to apply, and cost-effective. No outcomes are reported because the trial has not yet been conducted. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is a method that combines cognitive behavioral relapse prevention with mindfulness practice. Research suggests that MBRP can effectively reduce withdrawal/craving in people with substance use disorder (SUD). An important part of MBRP is to practice mindfulness meditation to cope with high-risk situations for relapse, such as stimuli and situations associated with drug taking. Virtual reality cue exposure (VRCE) may be a complementary approach to MBRP as it allows for controlled and graded presentations of various high-risk situations with distal and proximal drug cues. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of MBRP combined with VRCE, in comparison to MBRP alone or treatment as usual, on craving and emotional responses in people with methamphetamine use disorders. The study is a parallel randomized controlled study including 180 participants with methamphetamine use disorder. Three parallel groups will receive 8 weeks of MBRP combined with VRCE, MBRP alone, or treatment as usual, respectively. Craving, virtual cue reactivity, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, mindfulness and drug-related attention bias will be assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3 and 6 months of follow-up. This innovative study aims at investigating the effects of MBRP combined with VRCE in people with SUD. The combined intervention may have important clinical implications for relapse prevention due to its ease of application and high cost-effectiveness. This study may also stimulate research on the neuronal and psychological mechanisms of MBRP in substance use disorder. ChiCTR-INR-17013041.
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 4
- Effects and safety of virtual reality-based mindfulness in patients with psychosis: a randomized controlled pilot study. Schizophrenia September 13, 2023
- Mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews October 20, 2021
- Challenges and Opportunities of Immersive Technologies for Mindfulness Meditation: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Virtual Reality April 27, 2021
- Mindfulness and Behavior Change Harvard Review of Psychiatry November 1, 2020
Cites 6
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Retraining the addicted brain: a review of hypothesized neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors July 9, 2012
- Role of sensitivity to anxiety symptoms in responsiveness to mindfulness versus suppression strategies for coping with smoking cravings. Journal of Clinical Psychology February 8, 2011
- Mindfulness training modifies cognitive, affective, and physiological mechanisms implicated in alcohol dependence: results of a randomized controlled pilot trial. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2010
and 1 more in the library