3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impairs the extinction and reconsolidation of fear memory in rats.
Physiology and Behavior February 1, 2019 H. Hake, Jazmyne Davis, River R. Wood et al. 65 citations
MDMA paired with psychotherapy reduces PTSD symptoms more effectively than psychotherapy or medication alone, but how MDMA enhances therapy is unclear. In adult male rats, MDMA given before fear extinction training impaired later recall of cued fear extinction without affecting fear relapse. MDMA given during the reconsolidation phase—but not outside it—produced a delayed and lasting reduction in conditioned fear. These results suggest MDMA may improve psychotherapy by disrupting fear memories during reconsolidation rather than by enhancing extinction.