Review of potential psychedelic treatments for PTSD.
Ryan L Henner, Matcheri S Keshavan, Kevin P Hill
Journal of the Neurological Sciences August 15, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120302 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | MDMA-assisted psychotherapy psilocybin |
| Topics | MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy PTSD |
| Keywords | 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine |
| Key findings | MDMA-assisted therapy significantly improves PTSD symptoms with good safety, but classical psychedelics lack direct clinical evidence for PTSD. |
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental illness with limited treatment options and a high treatment dropout rate. Psychedelics, often in combination with psychotherapy, are now under investigation as a potential treatment option for a variety of psychiatric conditions including PTSD. This paper reviews the proposed mechanism of action for 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and classical psychedelics such as psilocybin in treating PTSD, along with available clinical evidence, safety and side effects. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is in FDA phase III clinical trials for PTSD and is purported to work by way of increased empathy and decreased amygdala activation during the therapeutic encounter and trauma processing. Classical psychedelics may create change by a subjective transformative experience along with an observable process of brain network alterations, though these substances have not been clinically studied in the context PTSD. In recent human-subject studies MDMA-assisted therapy resulted in significant improvement in PTSD symptoms with a good safety and side effect profile. There is not yet direct clinical evidence for classical psychedelics in treating PTSD, but the evidence supports such a trial. The studies to date have been relatively small, and participants are wellscreened for potential co-morbidities which could increase the risks of psychedelic treatment. Nonetheless, the data is promising for psychedelic-assisted treatment to become a much-needed treatment option for PTSD.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin for PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
| The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment | 2024 | Comprehensive review | |
| Diverse therapeutic developments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicate common mechanisms of memory modulation. | 2022 | Review | |
| Is it now time to prepare psychiatry for a psychedelic future? | 2024 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 34
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Investigation of self-treatment with lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin mushrooms: Findings from the Global Drug Survey 2020 Journal of Psychopharmacology March 6, 2023
- Pattern breaking: a complex systems approach to psychedelic medicine Neuroscience of Consciousness 2023
- Essentials of Informed Consent to Psychedelic Medicine JAMA Psychiatry April 10, 2024
- Psychotherapy with Psilocybin for Depression: Systematic Review Behavioral Sciences March 31, 2023
and 29 more in the library
Cites 69
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