In a first study of its kind, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy was found to be safe and tolerable for patients with alcohol use disorder. The treatment did not raise serious safety concerns and was well tolerated by participants, suggesting that this combined approach warrants further investigation as a potential therapy for alcohol addiction.
MDMA did not increase prosocial behavior in a controlled laboratory setting, despite raising blood levels of the drug and self-reported feelings of closeness and euphoria. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 20 healthy volunteers, MDMA (100 mg) failed to significantly change task-based measures of empathy, trust, or cooperative behavior compared to placebo. Bayesian analyses supported the conclusion that MDMA and placebo had equivalent effects on empathy and cooperation. The drug also did not alter mood three days after administration. These findings suggest that the acute prosocial effects of MDMA observed in naturalistic or therapeutic contexts may not replicate under controlled experimental conditions.