MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD shows promising safety and efficacy in clinical trials, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This review examines preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that MDMA's effects on memory processes—specifically fear extinction and fear reconsolidation—may contribute to the treatment's success. The authors integrate findings from cognitive psychology and psychopharmacology to support this view and provide recommendations for future research.
A double-blind neurofeedback study tested whether participants could become aware of the experiment's purpose. Using a contingency awareness questionnaire developed from consciousness research, 5 out of 20 subjects correctly guessed that the experiment aimed to manipulate their attention and multisensory perception in line with their group assignment. The questionnaire took about 25 minutes to complete. The authors call for replication before applying the questionnaire in clinical neurofeedback studies, noting both the strengths and limitations of the approach and the increasing importance of double-blinding in this field.