Acute impact of self-guided mental imagery on craving in cocaine use disorder: a mixed-methods analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Mental imagery manipulations are used to treat several psychological disorders, but their utility in treating cocaine use disorder (CUD) is unknown. Using prompted re-experiences and simulations with contrasting valence, we assessed the acute impact of a deliberate mental imagery task on cocaine craving.
DESIGN
A quantitative-qualitative 'mixed-methods' analysis of data collected for a randomised controlled trial that was stopped prematurely.
SETTING
UK National Health Service addictions treatment clinic and outpatient clinical research facility (laboratory).
PARTICIPANTS
Adults with CUD. The original target sample was 120. All participants enrolled at the point the original trial was stopped were included (38 enrolled, 31 completed study).
INTERVENTIONS
Personalised (3-minute) cue-exposure (handling cocaine paraphernalia and watching video of drug preparation), immediately followed by a single 5-minute, audio-recorded, self-guided and verbally described imagery task with random assignment to one of four conditions: two mental imagery memory re-experiences (positive image before initiation to cocaine use or a negative image of a 'worst time' adverse cocaine use episode) or two future simulations (positive theme of CUD or negative theme of worsened CUD).
MEASUREMENTS
Task transcripts were rated for imagery detail using five dimensions using a six-point scale of imagery detail (ID total score: 0-25) and thematically coded. The outcome measure was cocaine…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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