Alcohol and Alcoholism
May 14, 2025
Hannah Thurgur, Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed et al.
3 citations
Safety and tolerability data from the first open-label feasibility study of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder was recently published. This paper presents a Bayesian analysis of the impact of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on treatment success, defined as 2-level reduction in the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking risk at the 3 months...
Psychedelics as Psychiatric Medications
March 1, 2023
Laurie Higbed, Ben Sessa
Abstract Psychedelic compounds offer a unique type of mental health treatment. This chapter considers how psychedelics can be explored as an alternative to the typical maintenance medication for the treatment of symptoms, through using psychedelic medicines in a controlled clinical setting as an adjunct to psychotherapy. In combination with psychotherapy, the psychedelic experience provides the...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
December 13, 2021
Ben Sessa, Jacob S. Aday, Steve O’Brien et al.
18 citations
BACKGROUND: Incorporating 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as an adjunct to psychotherapy has shown promise in recent years for treating various mental health conditions, particularly those involving trauma. However, concerns about declines in mood and cognition during the days following dosing, also known as 'Blue Mondays', have been raised as limitations to its clinical use. Although...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
February 18, 2021
Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed, Steve O’Brien et al.
123 citations
Background: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) therapy has qualities that make it potentially well suited for patients with addictions, but this has never been explored in a research study. We present data from the Bristol Imperial MDMA in Alcoholism (BIMA) study. This is the first MDMA addiction study, an open-label safety and tolerability proof-of-concept study investigating the...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
March 20, 2019
Ben Sessa, David Nutt, Laurie Higbed
141 citations
This paper provides a brief review of the history, proposed pharmacological mechanisms, safety issues, and clinical applications of the medicine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Most clinical MDMA research in patients to date has focused on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review paper other potential therapeutic applications for MDMA...