Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement in opioid use disorder: Extended emotional regulation and neural effects and immediate effects of guided meditation in a pilot sample

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement in opioid use disorder

T2 - Extended emotional regulation and neural effects and immediate effects of guided meditation in a pilot sample

AU - Ray, Suchismita

AU - Bhanji, Jamil

AU - Kennelly, Nicole

AU - Fox, Helen C.

AU - Budsock, Patricia Dooley

AU - Delgado, Mauricio

AU - Cooperman, Nina A.

AU - Garland, Eric L.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Objective: 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. Design: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.

AB - Objective: 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. Design: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.

KW - Connectivity

KW - Emotion

KW - Mindfulness

KW - Opioid use disorder

KW - Women

KW - fMRI

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176339785&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85176339785&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.explore.2023.11.001

DO - 10.1016/j.explore.2023.11.001

M3 - Article

SN - 1550-8307

JO - Explore

JF - Explore

ER -