Music may tame opioid cravings, small study suggests
NCT ID NCT06948890
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.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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28 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Finished
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Feb 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years or older * Current diagnosis of opioid use disorder * Actively receiving buprenorphine or methadone treatment with a stable dose of at least 30 days Exclusion Criteria: * Any significant impairment in mental status that would interfere with the ability to provided informed consent including suicidality, homicidality, or psychosis. * Hearing impaired * Vision impaired * Patient reports that they are pregnant * Requiring the use of any prescription opioid analgesics during the trial * Currently prescribed naltrexone * Chronic pain, defined as pain on the numeric rating scale (0-10) of \>3 every day for over 3 months.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02459, United States
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