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Mindfulness-based behavioral therapy changes brain responses to reduce opioid cravings (opens in a new tab)

news-medical.net · 2026-10-28

Short answerEvidenceSource

Short answer

Mixed

Mixed.

The claims we could check match the study, but some claims were not covered by the evidence reviewed.

  • 3 supported
  • 2 not covered

Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.

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Follow the evidence trail
1
2

NewsLink checks it

Mixed

Every claim we could check holds up. Three of five claims match the study. This overall rating is based only on the claims we could check. Two claims the study doesn't address.

  • 3 supported
  • 2 not covered
Open claim evidence
3
Then inspect each claim

Evidence layer

Claim by claim

Each claim gets a verdict. Expand it to see the evidence directly below.

5 claims in this story

Showing all 5 claimsChoose a verdict to focus the list.

Claim 1 of 5Not coveredResearchers enrolled 86 people with opioid use disorder at a long-term inpatient treatment facility; all participants were receiving methadone or buprenorphine and were randomly assigned to eight weeks of MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated86 people

Why this verdict

The profile supports that participants were recruited from an inpatient rehabilitation facility and randomized to 8 weekly group sessions of MORE or PST. However, the supplied abstract-level profile does not verify the total enrollment number of 86, the description as a long-term inpatient facility, or that all participants were receiving methadone or buprenorphine.

1

Study evidence

Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in the middle frontal gyrus and other regions (including the precuneus) during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (whole-brain/ROI threshold as reported).

“This randomized clinical trial was conducted... randomized to MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST).”
2

Study evidence

MORE extended abstinence duration at follow-up (~4 months posttreatment) compared with PST.χ2 = 6.7; P = .04; Cohen w = 0.19

“Outcomes included... abstinence length (secondary), and cue-induced craving (secondary).”
Claim 2 of 5Not coveredAccording to the researchers, this was the first randomized clinical trial to use fMRI to examine how MORE or a similar mindfulness-based intervention changes brain function in addiction.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedfirst randomized clinical trial

Why this verdict

The profile supports that the trial used fMRI to study MORE-related brain-function changes in addiction/OUD, including task-based and movie-watching fMRI. It does not provide evidence for the priority claim that this was the first randomized clinical trial to use fMRI to examine MORE or a similar mindfulness-based intervention in addiction.

1

Study evidence

Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in the middle frontal gyrus and other regions (including the precuneus) during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (whole-brain/ROI threshold as reported).

“This randomized clinical trial was conducted... randomized to MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST).”
2

Study evidence

Compared with PST, MORE reduced medial prefrontal cortex synchronization to naturalistic drug-related movie scenes in the movie-watching fMRI subset.q = 0.019 (multiple-comparison–controlled); no effect magnitude (e.g., d or % signal) reported in abstract.

“Movie-watching... analyses were conducted in subsets of 37 (MORE, n = 18; PST, n = 19)”
Claim 3 of 5SupportedMindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a behavioral therapy used alongside medication treatment, may help people with opioid use disorder respond differently to drug-related cues and natural rewards, according to a randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Mount Sinai.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile supports that this was a randomized clinical trial of MORE versus psychoeducational supportive therapy and that MORE changed prefrontal/reward-related neural responses to drug versus natural reward cues. The hedged wording ('may help') is appropriate for the mechanistic trial evidence. The supplied paper profile does not independently verify the Mount Sinai leadership detail.

1

Study evidence

Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in the middle frontal gyrus and other regions (including the precuneus) during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (whole-brain/ROI threshold as reported).

“This randomized clinical trial was conducted... randomized to MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST).”
Claim 4 of 5SupportedPublished in JAMA Psychiatry, the study used brain imaging to examine how MORE affects the prefrontal cortex, and after eight weeks participants who received MORE showed changes in brain activity while regulating their responses to drug-related images; these changes were associated with greater reductions in craving.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedeight weeks

Why this verdict

The profile supports an 8-week MORE intervention, task fMRI examining prefrontal responses during regulation of drug cues versus natural reward cues, and an association between a PFC drug-to-natural-reward response shift and lower cue-induced craving in the MORE group. The story's phrase 'greater reductions in craving' is somewhat stronger than the abstract-profile wording of 'lower cue-induced craving,' but the claim is framed associationally and is broadly aligned with the reported brain–behavior association.

1

Study evidence

Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in the middle frontal gyrus and other regions (including the precuneus) during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (whole-brain/ROI threshold as reported).

“This randomized clinical trial was conducted... randomized to MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST).”
2

Study evidence

MORE extended abstinence duration at follow-up (~4 months posttreatment) compared with PST.χ2 = 6.7; P = .04; Cohen w = 0.19

“Outcomes included... abstinence length (secondary), and cue-induced craving (secondary).”
Claim 5 of 5SupportedAt a follow-up visit approximately four months after treatment, participants receiving MORE had greater increases in the duration of abstinence than those receiving a comparison therapy.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedapproximately four months after treatment

Why this verdict

The profile reports that at follow-up approximately 4 months posttreatment, MORE significantly extended abstinence duration compared with PST. The story accurately states the direction and timing, though it does not mention that abstinence was a secondary outcome analyzed in a follow-up subset.

1

Study evidence

MORE extended abstinence duration at follow-up (~4 months posttreatment) compared with PST.χ2 = 6.7; P = .04; Cohen w = 0.19

“Outcomes included... abstinence length (secondary), and cue-induced craving (secondary).”
Then look for missing context

Context layer

What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

  • Important limitation: abstinence follow-up was a secondary outcome analyzed in a subset of 38 participants with uneven group sizes, and movie-watching fMRI was also a subset analysis.

    The story caveats mention the need for larger and more diverse studies, but they do not specifically disclose that key follow-up abstinence and movie-watching findings came from small subsets, which affects interpretation of those findings.

    From randomized subset naturalistic movie-watching fMRI; randomized clinical trial

  • Movie-watching fMRI subset result: MORE reduced medial PFC synchronization to naturalistic drug-related movie scenes compared with PST.

    The story focuses on task-based regulation of drug-related images and natural rewards and does not report the distinct naturalistic movie-watching fMRI synchronization finding.

    From randomized subset naturalistic movie-watching fMRI

5 things the story did carry across
  • Randomized clinical trial design comparing MORE with an active psychoeducational supportive therapy control over 8 weekly group sessions.
  • Primary neuroimaging outcome: treatment-related fMRI BOLD changes during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues, including reduced drug-biased activity in middle frontal gyrus/precuneus and PFC response shifts.
  • Brain–behavior finding: a shift from drug to natural reward responses in lateral and ventromedial PFC was associated with lower cue-induced craving, reported within the MORE group and not establishing causality.
  • Secondary clinical outcome: MORE extended abstinence duration at approximately 4 months posttreatment compared with PST.
  • Caveat that MORE was studied as an adjunct to medication treatment, not as a replacement.
Then read the study layer

Study layer

Study at a glance

Scan the study first. Expand only the parts you want to inspect.

Pieces of work

3

Evidence read

study summary

Lead result

human in vivo

1Lead resulthuman in vivoTest whether Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), compared with an active control (psychoeducational supportive therapy; PST), alters prefrontal and related neural responses to drug vs natural reward cues on task fMRI in people with opioid use disorder (OUD), and whether those neural changes relate to cue-induced craving.Randomized clinical trial (MORE vs PST)Expand

In plain English

Randomized clinical trial testing whether Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) versus an active psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST) control alters prefrontal and related neural responses to drug versus natural reward cues on task-based fMRI in people with opioid use disorder (OUD), and whether those neural changes relate to cue-induced craving. Primary outcome was treatment-related change in BOLD signal during downregulation of drug-cue responses relative to upregulation of natural reward cues. Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in middle frontal gyrus and precuneus during the regulation task, produced a shift in lateral and ventromedial PFC responses that correlated with lower cue-induced craving only in the MORE group, reduced medial PFC synchronization to naturalistic drug-related movie scenes in a subset, and significantly extended abstinence duration at follow-up (~4 months posttreatment).

Key findings

  • Compared with PST, MORE reduced drug-biased activity in the middle frontal gyrus and other regions (including the precuneus) during downregulation of drug cues relative to upregulation of natural reward cues.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (whole-brain/ROI threshold as reported).
  • A shift from drug to natural reward responses in lateral and ventromedial PFC was associated with lower cue-induced craving, and this association was observed exclusively in the MORE group.Reported at z > 3.1; P < .05 (association within MORE group as reported).
“This randomized clinical trial was conducted... randomized to MORE or psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST).”
What this piece can’t prove

3 further details could not be confirmed from the summary.

2human in vivoTest whether MORE, compared with PST, alters brain synchronization/response to naturalistic drug-related stimuli during movie-watching fMRI in a subset of participants.randomized subset naturalistic movie-watching fMRIExpand

In plain English

In a randomized-trial subset (n = 37; MORE = 18, PST = 19), naturalistic movie-watching fMRI showed that participants randomized to Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) had reduced medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) synchronization to drug-related movie scenes compared with psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST); the reported group difference was q = 0.019 (multiple-comparison–controlled).

Key findings

  • Compared with PST, MORE reduced medial prefrontal cortex synchronization to naturalistic drug-related movie scenes in the movie-watching fMRI subset.q = 0.019 (multiple-comparison–controlled); no effect magnitude (e.g., d or % signal) reported in abstract.
“Movie-watching... analyses were conducted in subsets of 37 (MORE, n = 18; PST, n = 19)”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Small subset sample size (n = 37) and uneven group-level details only reported in abstract.
  • Limited methodological detail in abstract for the movie-watching synchronization analysis (no description of synchronization metric, preprocessing, or statistical model).
  • Unknown whether the subset was pre-specified or selected post hoc from the randomized sample (not specified in abstract).
3human in vivoTest whether MORE, compared with PST, improves clinical outcomes (abstinence duration at follow-up and cue-induced craving), and relate these outcomes to neural changes.randomized clinical trialExpand

In plain English

Randomized clinical trial comparing Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) versus psychoeducational supportive therapy (PST) in people with opioid use disorder examined secondary clinical outcomes (abstinence duration at ~4 months posttreatment and cue-induced craving) and tested whether a shift in prefrontal cortex (PFC) responses from drug to natural reward cues related to craving. MORE extended abstinence at follow-up relative to PST and a drug→natural reward PFC response shift was associated with lower cue-induced craving within the MORE group.

Key findings

  • MORE extended abstinence duration at follow-up (~4 months posttreatment) compared with PST.χ2 = 6.7; P = .04; Cohen w = 0.19
  • Within the MORE group, a shift in lateral and ventromedial PFC responses from drug toward natural reward cues was associated with lower cue-induced craving.z > 3.1; P < .05
“Outcomes included... abstinence length (secondary), and cue-induced craving (secondary).”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Clinical outcomes (abstinence and craving) were designated secondary outcomes in the trial.
  • Abstinence outcome reported from a subset at follow-up (n = 38), with uneven group sizes (MORE n = 13; PST n = 25).

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

Finally, the search trail

Method layer

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NewsLink checks the story. Tessa is where you inspect the paper, authors, evidence, and research context.

Open the paper in Tessa

Prefrontal Cortical Changes With Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement in Opioid Use Disorder

JAMA Psychiatry · 2026

Source record (opens in a new tab)

Why this one

Near certain

NewsLink found the paper. Tessa is where you inspect it deeply.

Papers considered

The selected paper, plus nearby candidates.

Crossref, PubMed · 32 candidate papers

Selected

Prefrontal Cortical Changes With Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement in Opioid Use Disorder

JAMA Psychiatry · 2026 · Crossref

Source (opens in a new tab)

And 26 more candidates considered.