Peer-guided movie neurofeedback to facilitate recovery in opioid use disorder

Researchers developed a new method called peer-guided movie neurofeedback (PG-MovieNF) to help individuals with opioid use disorder. The method works by using a training signal derived from the brains of people further along in recovery who watch the same film. During 8 weeks of treatment, a specific signal was identified in the prefrontal cortex of patients with opioid use disorder. In an independent group of patients who received real neurofeedback during the film, alignment of their brain activity with the peer-derived target signal increased. Patients receiving real feedback reported reduced cravings and improved emotional ratings. This method represents the first proof of concept for PG-MovieNF in enhancing addiction recovery.