Music may tame opioid cravings, small study suggests

NCT ID NCT06948890

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at whether listening to music can help lower cravings for opioids when people see drug-related cues. Twenty-eight adults with opioid use disorder, all on stable medication treatment, either listened to their favorite relaxing songs or sat in silence. Researchers measured their craving levels before and after showing them drug-related images to see if music made a difference.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: music listening
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to help manage cravings during recovery from opioid use disorder.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early study with only 28 participants. The effect may be small or not apply to everyone, and it only tested short-term cravings in a lab setting.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

opiate dependence

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

OPIOID-USE DISORDER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02459, United States

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