Nature medicine
June 1, 2021
Jennifer M Mitchell, Michael Bogenschutz, Alia Lilienstein et al.
965 citations
A phase 3 clinical trial tested MDMA-assisted therapy against placebo for severe PTSD. Participants received manualized therapy with either MDMA or placebo alongside preparatory and integrative sessions. At two months after the last session, the MDMA group showed a significantly greater reduction in PTSD symptoms (average 24.4-point drop on the CAPS-5 scale) compared to the placebo group (13.9-point drop), with a large effect size. Functional impairment also improved more with MDMA. No serious safety issues such as abuse potential, suicidality, or heart rhythm problems were observed. The findings suggest MDMA-assisted therapy is highly effective and safe for severe PTSD, including in people with common co-occurring conditions.
Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2020
Lisa Jerome, Allison A Feduccia, Julie B Wang et al.
163 citations
PTSD symptoms significantly decreased after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, and the improvement continued for at least 12 months after the final MDMA session. Participants received two to three doses of MDMA (75-125 mg) during psychotherapy sessions. The average reduction in PTSD symptom scores from before treatment to 1-2 months after the last MDMA session was 44.8 points on the CAPS-IV scale, a large effect. Symptoms further decreased slightly over the following year. The proportion of participants who no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria rose from 56% at treatment exit to 67% at long-term follow-up. Most participants reported benefits such as improved relationships and well-being, while a minority reported harms.
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing)
July 1, 2023
Jennifer M Mitchell, Michael Bogenschutz, Alia Lilienstein et al.
97 citations
A phase 3 clinical trial tested MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD. In 90 participants randomized to receive either MDMA or placebo alongside therapy, those receiving MDMA showed a significantly larger reduction in PTSD symptoms, with an average decrease of 24.4 points on the CAPS-5 scale compared to 13.9 points in the placebo group. Functional impairment also improved more with MDMA. No serious safety issues like abuse potential or suicidality were observed. The treatment was effective even for patients with common co-occurring conditions such as depression or substance use history. The authors conclude MDMA-assisted therapy is a safe and highly effective treatment for severe PTSD.
Journal of psychiatric research
May 1, 2022
Timothy D Brewerton, Julie B Wang, Adele Lafrance et al.
81 citations
Among 89 individuals with severe PTSD enrolled in a placebo-controlled trial of MDMA-assisted therapy, 15% had eating disorder symptoms in the clinical range and 31.5% in the high-risk range at baseline, despite no active purging or low weight. After treatment, participants who received MDMA-assisted therapy showed significantly greater reductions in eating disorder symptoms compared to those who received placebo, especially among women with elevated baseline scores. The findings suggest that eating disorder psychopathology is common in severe PTSD and that MDMA-assisted therapy may reduce these co-occurring symptoms.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2022
S Parker Singleton, Julie B Wang, Michael Mithoefer et al.
36 citations
In nine veterans and first-responders with chronic PTSD, MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) did not significantly increase amygdala-hippocampus resting-state functional connectivity as hypothesized, showing only a trend. After treatment, brain activation during trauma memory recall decreased in the cuneus. Recovery from PTSD correlated with changes in four functional connections during autobiographical memory recall: left amygdala with left and right posterior cingulate cortex and left insula, and left isthmus cingulate with left posterior hippocampus. These findings suggest that amygdala, hippocampus, and insula functional connectivity may be a target of MDMA-AT, highlighting regions involved in memory processes.