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Aaron Wolfgang

11 papers in the library · 112 citations · publishing 2021-2025

Papers

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Psychedelics, spirituality, and existential distress in patients at the end of life.

Cleve Clin J Med April 1, 2025 Nicole Cornish, Tara Coles, M. Jennifer Cheng et al. 3 citations

Psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials conducted over the past decade have prompted increased interest in the use of psychedelics to treat nonphysical suffering, which can include significant spiritual and existential distress at the end of life. The authors explore the role of psychedelics in helping to address patients' spiritual and existential suffering from a medical, ethical, and...

MDMA and MDMA-Assisted Therapy.

The American journal of psychiatry 2025 Aaron Wolfgang, Gregory A. Fonzo, Joshua C. Gray et al. 47 citations

MDMA (i.e., 3,4-methylenedixoymethamphetamine), commonly known as "Ecstasy" or "Molly," has been used since the 1970s both in recreational and therapeutic settings. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) as a Breakthrough Therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 2017, and the FDA is requiring an additional phase 3 trial after rejecting the...

Psilocybin: From Psychiatric Pariah to Perceived Panacea

American Journal of Psychiatry 2025 Adrienne Grzenda, Gregory A. Fonzo, Aaron Wolfgang et al. 14 citations

The evidence is currently insufficient to recommend psilocybin with PST as a psychiatric treatment. Additional rigorously designed clinical trials are needed to definitively establish efficacy in larger and more diverse samples, address dosing considerations, improve blinding, and provide information on mechanisms of action and moderators of clinical response. Head-to-head comparisons with...

MDMA-assisted dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of mental health clinicians

Journal of Psychedelic Studies February 5, 2024 Ann M. Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang, Lianne T. Philhower 1 citation

Abstract In 2021, the final series of phase 3 clinical trials looking at MDMA-AT for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that 71.2% of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) full-dose participants no longer met criteria for PTSD. MDMA-assisted therapy is not US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in treating borderline personality disorder (BPD), and while...

MDMA-assisted therapy for borderline personality disorder

Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 14, 2023 Ann M. Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang, Lianne T. Philhower 1 citation

AbstractAssociated with high-risk behavior, borderline personality disorder (BPD) remains one of the field's most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and stigmatized conditions. Individuals with BPD are frequently labeled as treatment-resistant patients. Furthermore, 25–58% of BPD individuals have a comorbid diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and BPD may be conceptualized as a...

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Military and Veterans Healthcare Systems: Clinical, Legal, and Implementation Considerations.

Current Psychiatry Reports October 1, 2023 Aaron Wolfgang, Charles W Hoge 15 citations

This review discusses the current and projected landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), with a focus on clinical, legal, and implementation considerations in Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systems. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)- and psilocybin-assisted therapy have shown promising outcomes in efficacy, safety, tolerability, and...

Ethical considerations for psychedelic-assisted therapy in military clinical settings

Journal of Medical Ethics May 30, 2023 Scott Hoener, Aaron Wolfgang, David A. Nissan et al. 6 citations

Psychedelic treatments, particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted and psilocybin-assisted therapies, have recently seen renewed interest in their clinical potential to treat various mental health conditions. Clinical trials for both MDMA-assisted and psilocybin-assisted therapies have shown to be highly efficacious for post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression....

Beliefs and Perceived Barriers Regarding Psychedelic-assisted Therapy in a Pilot Study of Service Members and Veterans With a History of Traumatic Brain Injury

Military Medicine December 24, 2022 Joshua C. Gray, Mikela A. Murphy, Sierra Carter et al. 10 citations

ABSTRACT Introduction Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common in service members and veterans, and the response to currently available treatments is often modest at best. Recent studies suggest potential benefit with psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs), particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy for PTSD and psilocybin-assisted therapy for...

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Therapy in Hawaii: A Brief Review

Cureus June 28, 2022 Ann M. Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang 5 citations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted breakthrough therapy status to 3,4-methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) in 2017 due to preliminary evidence supporting its efficacy and safety in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A series of six phase-II clinical trials studying MDMA-AT for treatment-resistant PTSD found that 54% of MDMA-AT full-dose...