Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement remediates anhedonia in chronic opioid use by enhancing neurophysiological responses during savoring of natural rewards.
Psychological medicine April 1, 2023 Eric L Garland, Spencer T Fix, Justin P Hudak et al. 51 citations
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.