Emotional Brain Training for Addiction Medicine Treatment - A Pilot Study

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Cannabis Use Disorder, Stimulant Use Disorder, Opioid Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder, Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorders

In brief

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether Emotional Brain Training (EBT), a behavioral modification method, can help manage stress and health problems related to addiction. EBT teaches skills to deactivate harmful circuits (automatic reactions) and activate healing circuits to quickly shift mood from negative to positive. Participants in the EBT group will receive focused, intensive instruction on using these skills to rewire unwanted brain circuits, with the aim of achieving lasting improvements in emotional health and quality of life. The study will assess whether EBT is an effective tool when added to standard of care (SOC), which includes medications for addiction treatment (MAT). Researchers will compare changes in stress, anxiety, and cravings after 8 weeks of EBT plus SOC versus SOC alone. Participants: * will either continue receiving standard treatments (SOC) at the Addiction Recovery Clinic (ARC) at SAC Health in San Bernardino * or receive both EBT and SOC at ARC * in the SOC group will continue monthly visits at ARC and weekly counseling * in the EBT plus SOC group will continue monthly visits and weekly counseling at ARC, along with weekly EBT group sessions by telephone * will complete online assessments at weeks 0, 4, and 8 Upon completion of the study, all participants will resume SOC

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07001371

Run by

Loma Linda University

People needed

54

Starts

2026-08-01

Expected to finish

2027-08-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-04-23

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 18 years old or older
• Patient can speak and read English
• Patient who receives regular MAT care at SAC Health
• Patients who have regular and reliable cellular and/or reliable internet connection
• Patients who are willing to spend average of 25 minutes per day and attend weekly group meetings
• Patients willing to actively participate in group sessions
• Opioid use disorder, at least in early remission
• Alcohol use disorder, at least in early remission
• Methamphetamine use disorder, at least in early remission
• Cocaine use disorder, at least in early remission
• Anxiolytic use disorder, at least in early remission
• Cannabis use disorder
• Tobacco use disorder

You may not qualify if…

• Age <18 years old
• Patient does not speak or read English
• Patients who do not seek regular MAT care at SAC Health
• Patients with inconsistent or no access to cellular or internet connection
• Any disorder that is uncontrolled
• Any substance use disorder not in at least early remission
• Any patient with complications related to use disorder
• Patients enrolled in the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission patients a part of SAC Health
• Anyone who, in the opinion of the investigators, would be unable to participate in an 8-week trial

Where it is running

• Addiction Recovery Clinic at SAC Health — San Bernardino, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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