Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City (Garland, Nakamura, Hanley, Parisi); Veterans Health Care Administration VISN 19 Whole Health Flagship Site, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City (Garland, Marchand); Pain Research Center, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City (Nakamura, Donaldson); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, Columbus (Bryan); Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia (Froeliger); Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City (Marchand).
1 paper in the library · 51 citations · publishing 2023
Long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain can lead to anhedonia, or reduced ability to experience pleasure from natural rewards. A behavioral intervention called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) was tested in 63 veterans on long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain, who were randomly assigned to eight weeks of MORE or a supportive group therapy. MORE increased brain and physiological responses to natural reward cues and reduced subjective anhedonia more than the control. The reduction in anhedonia was linked to increased brain activity during savoring of rewards. MORE may be an effective treatment for anhedonia in chronic opioid users and those at risk for opioid use disorder.