B-56Investigation of Personality Change Following MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Michael Wagner, Michael C Mithoefer, Ann T Mithoefer, Rebecca K. MacAulay, Lisa Jerome, B Bazaar-Klosinski, Rick Doblin
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology August 31, 2016 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acw043.131 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Subjects with treatment-refractory PTSD |
| Intervention | MDMA-assisted psychotherapy |
| Dose | 125 mg |
| Topics | MDMA PTSD Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Borderline personality disorder |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Increases in Openness and decreases in Neuroticism predicted lower PTSD severity, with MDMA-treated participants showing the greatest increase in Openness. |
Abstract
Objective: New data from a previously published randomized blinded Phase II clinical trial (Mithoefer, et al., 2011) is presented here to test whether psychological change mediates the effect of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD.
Method: Twenty-three (23) subjects with treatment-refractory PTSD were randomized to either a placebo or experimental condition. Subjects received 2-3 experimental sessions of 125 mg MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (N = 12) or inactive placebo and psychotherapy (N = 8) according to FDA/IRB approved protocol. The CAPS and NEO PI-R were primary outcome measures.
Results: There was a significant main effect of decreased CAPS scores, independent of treatment condition when Openness F(1, 17) = 40.60 p < .001 or Neuroticism F(1, 17) = 20.48, p < .001 were used as covariates. Significant interactions showed that experimental subjects experienced the greatest increase in Openness, concomitantly demonstrating greater decreases in CAPS score, F(1, 17) = 5.68, p = .029; also decreases in Neuroticism were associated with a decreased CAPS score, F(1, 17) = 18.83, p < .001. Change score of increased Openness predicted a lower CAPS score, r = .525, p = .031; while decreases in Neuroticism predicted lower CAPS score, r = .492, p = .028.
Conclusion: Psychological learning models do not seem to fit these data. With psychotherapeutic priming and MDMA, resolution of PTSD with associated change in personality trait, was conceptualized as involving a transient alteration in the temporal/cingulate, amygdala, and ventromedial frontal pathways of the brain resulting in an “aha” type reorganization of mental experience.