Neural stress reactivity relates to smoking outcomes and differentiates between mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral treatments.
Hedy Kober, Judson A. Brewer, Keri L Height, Rajita Sinha
Neuroimage September 28, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.09.042 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized or comparative intervention study with fMRI assessment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 23 |
| Population | Adults enrolled in smoking-cessation treatment |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | 3-month post-treatment follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Treatment outcome Brain mapping Stress, psychological Smoking cessation Middle aged Female Cigarette smoking Cognitive behavioral therapy FMRI Cognitive-behavioral therapy |
| Key points | Stress reactivity in the amygdala and anterior/mid insula was related to reductions in smoking after treatment and at 3-month follow-up across the sample. The mindfulness training group showed lower stress reactivity in these regions than the Freedom From Smoking cognitive-behavioral group, which the authors suggest may be one mechanism underlying mindfulness training's efficacy in reducing smoking over time. |
Abstract
Stress and negative affect are known contributors to drug use and relapse, and several known treatments for addictions include strategies for managing them. In the current study, we administered a well-established stress provocation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to 23 participants who completed either mindfulness training (MT; N=11) or the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking (FFS; N=12), which is a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for smoking cessation. Across the entire sample, we found that stress reactivity in several brain regions including the amygdala and anterior/mid insula was related to reductions in smoking after treatment, as well as at 3-month post-treatment follow-up. Moreover, conjunction analysis revealed that these same regions also differentiated between treatment groups such that the MT group showed lower stress-reactivity compared to the FFS/CBT group. This suggests that reduction in stress reactivity may be one of the mechanisms that underlie the efficacy of MT in reducing smoking over time. The findings have important implications for our understanding of stress, the neural and psychological mechanisms that underlie mindfulness-based treatments, and for smoking cessation treatments more broadly.
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 13
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Substance and Behavioral Addictions: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychiatry March 29, 2018
- Mindfulness-based programs for substance use disorders: a systematic review of manualized treatments Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy July 29, 2020
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction Symptoms: Does Neuroplasticity Play a Role? Brain Sciences March 27, 2024
- Progressing from Simple to Multidimensional Models Towards a Biopsychosocial Framework of Addiction Current Addiction Reports June 11, 2026
and 8 more in the library
Cites 30
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
and 25 more in the library