Training the brain to reduce cravings for opioids
Official title: Closed-loop attention bias modification brain training for opioid use disorder
Funded at Neurotype INC. · NIH-10699099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a handy device that helps people with Opioid Use Disorder manage their cravings by training their brains to focus on healthier things instead of drugs, and it includes both people in recovery and those without the condition to see how well it works.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Neurotype INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $326,672 |
| NIH project number | 1R43DA057773-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10699099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder who are currently abstinent and seeking support to manage their cravings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are actively using opioids or those with severe mental health conditions unrelated to substance use may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop a portable device that helps individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) manage their cravings through a technique called Attention Bias Modification (ABM). By using real-time neurofeedback and mobile EEG technology, the device will train patients to shift their focus away from drug-related cues and towards healthier, non-drug-related stimuli. The study will involve both healthy individuals and those recovering from OUD to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of this innovative approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a new, FDA-regulated tool to help patients reduce cravings and prevent relapse in opioid use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using neurofeedback and attention modification techniques for various addictions, suggesting potential success for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Neurotype INC.
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burwell, Scott — Neurotype INC.
- Study coordinator: Burwell, Scott
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
-
Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
-
Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Unhoused Montanans
This project helps unhoused people in Montana get life-saving medicines for opioid use disorder through clinics connected to syringe service programs, a nurse-led MOUD model, and peer support.
-
Optimizing long-acting PrEP and opioid treatment for people in jails and prisons
This project tests a real-world approach to using long-acting PrEP and buprenorphine for HIV prevention and opioid treatment among incarcerated individuals and after release.
-
Scaling up medications for opioid use disorder in residential treatment programs
This grant studies how to help residential treatment programs provide medications for opioid use disorder to reduce overdoses after discharge, focusing on real-world settings and policies.
-
Increasing Capacity at a Native Community Clinic to Improve Opioid Care for urban AI/AN
This grant helps a Native American health clinic build its research capacity to better serve urban American Indian and Alaska Native people dealing with opioid use disorder and related health issues.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.