Investigating the Effect of the Bigdeli Mind Simulation Technique on Psychological Status, Substance Craving, and Brain Activation Patterns (fMRI) in Substance-Dependent Individuals
Keywords:
Mental simulation, substance dependence, addiction craving, craving-related thoughts, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), executive control, reward systemAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Bigdeli mind simulation technique on psychological status, addiction tendency, substance craving, craving-related thoughts, and functional brain activation patterns in individuals with substance dependence.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design. The statistical population consisted of male individuals aged 30 to 55 years referred to addiction treatment clinics in Karaj who were receiving methadone maintenance therapy at a dosage of 40 mg. Fifteen participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection instruments included the Attitude Toward Addiction Questionnaire, Addiction Tendency Questionnaire, Substance Craving Questionnaire, Craving Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ), Addiction Severity Index, and Post-Cessation Craving Questionnaire. The intervention consisted of eight structured 60-minute sessions based on the Bigdeli mind simulation technique. Psychological assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rest-fMRI) were conducted before and after the intervention. fMRI analyses focused on reward-system regions and cognitive control regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), nucleus accumbens, and basal ganglia. Behavioral data were analyzed using SPSS software through Wilcoxon and paired t-tests, while neuroimaging data were processed using CONN Toolbox Version 22a under MATLAB-2020b.
Findings: The findings demonstrated significant reductions in all examined psychological variables following the intervention. Attitude toward addiction decreased significantly (p = 0.002), addiction tendency showed a significant reduction (p = 0.004), substance craving decreased significantly (p = 0.013), and craving-related thoughts were also significantly reduced (p = 0.001). Resting-state fMRI analyses revealed increased functional connectivity in executive control regions, particularly the dlPFC and ACC, alongside reduced connectivity within reward-related and impulsivity-related pathways involving the orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia. These neural changes were associated with improvements in cognitive control, emotional regulation, and reduced craving-related processing.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the Bigdeli mind simulation technique may serve as an effective psychological intervention for reducing addiction-related cognitive and emotional processes while simultaneously modifying neural connectivity patterns associated with reward processing and executive control. The intervention appears capable of enhancing self-regulation and reducing vulnerability to substance craving among individuals with substance dependence.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Masomeh Latifi, Hamid Kamarzarin (Author); Mojtaba Bigdeli Shamloo
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