Using a Popular Film to Map Brain Bias Towards Drug Cues in Heroin Users

Researchers at Mount Sinai have uncovered important insights into how the brain responds to drug-related stimuli in individuals with heroin use disorder. By utilizing a widely recognized film, "Trainspotting," which depicts the heroin experience, the study demonstrated that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)—a brain region involved in decision-making and craving—exhibits synchronized activity biased toward drug cues in affected individuals. This finding suggests that these individuals’ brains prioritize drug-related content over other stimuli, reflecting the maladaptive focus that sustains addiction.

Notably, the study found that this bias diminishes significantly following treatment and abstinence, indicating a potential neural basis for recovery. Participants who underwent inpatient treatment and remained abstinent showed decreased OFC responsiveness to drug cues, aligning with reductions in their self-reported craving levels. The study highlights how real-world, dynamic stimuli like movies can better stimulate relevant brain processes than traditional static images, thus offering a more accurate portrayal of addiction-related brain activity.

The team analyzed brain responses from 30 inpatient heroin users and 25 healthy controls as they watched the movie inside an fMRI scanner, both at baseline and after 15 weeks of treatment. Their innovative reverse correlation method identified brain regions most responsive to drug content, revealing that the OFC's heightened response in heroin users could recover with sustained abstinence.

This discovery opens new avenues for addiction treatment, including the development of real-time neurofeedback therapies where individuals learn to modulate their brain activity. The research acknowledges limitations, such as using only one movie and the fact that participants were already in abstinence, suggesting further studies are needed to expand these findings.

Overall, this research underscores the value of naturalistic, emotionally engaging stimuli in understanding and possibly enhancing treatment outcomes for drug addiction. With ongoing efforts, the Mount Sinai team aims to refine neurofeedback techniques and explore similar approaches across different substances and psychological conditions.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-famous-reveal-brain-region-biased.html