Emotional Brain Training for Addiction Medicine Treatment

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

54 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-03-31

Study Completion Date

2026-08-31

Brief Summary

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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

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Detailed Description

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Background Information and Rationale Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder defined by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces a natural reward, despite significant harm and negative consequences. Repetitive substance use alters brain function, perpetuating craving and weakening self-control, while not completely negating it. Addiction is now recognized as a complex brain disorder influenced by both neurobiological and psychosocial factors. Effective treatment typically combines pharmacological approaches with behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, behavior modification strategies, twelve-step programs, and structured residential care.

Emotional Brain Training (EBT) is a method of self-directed neuroplasticity targeting the neural root causes of addiction, rather than substituting one addiction for another. EBT addresses three primary brain-based contributors to addiction:

1. Replacing self-regulatory failure with optimal brain-based self-regulation, even under stress.
2. Rewiring maladaptive survival and core circuits to become stress resilient.
3. Raising the brain's physiological set point from allostatic to homeostatic, supporting adaptive lifestyle changes and reliance on natural rewards.

The core therapeutic technique of EBT is a structured emotional resiliency process that rewires maladaptive circuits through:

1. Activation of stress-related survival circuits.
2. Emotional processing to shift circuits from allostatic to homeostatic states.
3. Conscious identification of maladaptive expectations.
4. Juxtaposition of adaptive expectations to promote circuit reconsolidation.
5. Delivery of a dopamine release to solidify the rewiring. This process, consistent with reconsolidation research, is repeated until maladaptive drives and responses are eliminated.

EBT uniquely targets brain circuits that control physiology. The same set of skills is applied by clinicians, in peer-to-peer support, and through self-care with mobile app support, enhancing access and scalability. Delivery occurs through small group telephonic sessions using a confidential platform that fosters learning, community, and coaching.

Group sessions are facilitated by licensed health professionals or certified coaches trained in personal and clinical EBT use. Emotional resiliency processes can be completed rapidly, ranging from two to three minutes for self-regulation to approximately twenty minutes for clinician-facilitated trauma rewiring. Practice is further reinforced through brief peer-to-peer sessions and mobile app exercises.

EBT effectiveness has been evaluated in 14 small studies, demonstrating improvements in psychological measures (such as depression, perceived stress, and self-efficacy), behavioral outcomes (including reduced addictive behaviors and increased exercise), and physiological markers (such as blood pressure and BMI).

Conditions

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

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Randomized 8 weeks of Standard of Care (SOC) addiction treatment versus SOC plus Emotional Brain Training (EBT).

Subjects are patients currently receiving SOC at the Addiction Recovery Clinic at SAC Health. As part of SOC, participants will complete the Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM) tool at weeks 0, 4, and 8, and the Adverse Childhood Events (ACES) survey at week 0.

Providers at the clinic will approach subjects regarding participation in the study.

Subjects randomized to the EBT arm will receive 8 weeks of the standard EBT intervention, which includes:

Subjects randomized to the control arm, in addition to SOC, will have access to:

* Individual case management services
* Drug and alcohol counseling
* The opportunity to transition to the EBT arm after completion of two months in the control arm

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Standard of Care (SOC)

Participants will receive SOC, which includes medications for addiction therapy (MAT) (including but not limited to buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, etc.) weekly counseling, and monthly clinic visits with addiction specialists.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard addiction counseling and medical therapy

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will receive standard counseling (including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, etc.), which does not include EBT, in addition to medications for addiction treatment (including but not limited to buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, etc.).

Emotional Brain Training (EBT) and Standard of Care (SOC)

This group will receive all the components of SOC plus EBT counseling:

A. The components below will be completed daily and is estimated to take 25 minutes:

i. \[10 1-minute spiral ups (SU) - an EBT specific, app-directed methodology of emotional regulation\], plus; ii. 5 minutes via telephone for a group peer connection iii. 10 minutes online/phone app coursework/video

B. Once a week: participants will participate in a 60 minute small-group telephone meeting for accountability and support C. Once a week: participants will participate in at least 3 30-minute Spiral Up (SU) groups/week to practice the skills. These are available online daily.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Emotional Brain Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Emotional Brain Training (EBT) is a structured, neuroscience-based behavioral intervention that focuses on rewiring the brain's stress-related circuits to promote emotional resilience, self-regulation, and lasting behavioral change. This behavioral intervention has not been implemented in addiction treatments in the past. Unlike traditional therapies that primarily target cognitive processes or symptom management, EBT directly addresses the physiological and emotional root causes of maladaptive behaviors by engaging the brain's natural neuroplasticity mechanisms. EBT integrates rapid emotional processing tools, peer-to-peer support, clinician-facilitated sessions, and mobile app-based self-care to systematically transition brain circuits from stress-reactive to stress-resilient states.

Standard addiction counseling and medical therapy

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will receive standard counseling (including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, etc.), which does not include EBT, in addition to medications for addiction treatment (including but not limited to buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, etc.).

Interventions

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Emotional Brain Training

Emotional Brain Training (EBT) is a structured, neuroscience-based behavioral intervention that focuses on rewiring the brain's stress-related circuits to promote emotional resilience, self-regulation, and lasting behavioral change. This behavioral intervention has not been implemented in addiction treatments in the past. Unlike traditional therapies that primarily target cognitive processes or symptom management, EBT directly addresses the physiological and emotional root causes of maladaptive behaviors by engaging the brain's natural neuroplasticity mechanisms. EBT integrates rapid emotional processing tools, peer-to-peer support, clinician-facilitated sessions, and mobile app-based self-care to systematically transition brain circuits from stress-reactive to stress-resilient states.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Standard addiction counseling and medical therapy

Participants will receive standard counseling (including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, etc.), which does not include EBT, in addition to medications for addiction treatment (including but not limited to buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, etc.).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 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

Exclusion Criteria

* 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

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No