A Systematic Review of the MDMA Model to Address Social Impairment in Autism.
Devahuti Chaliha, John C Mamo, Matthew A. Albrecht, Virginie Lam, Ryu Takechi, Mauro Vaccarezza
Current Neuropharmacology 2021 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210101130258 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine Animal Autism spectrum disorder Human Social behavior. |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that MDMA and MDMA-like molecules appear to alleviate social impairments in autism, based mostly on animal models, and contend they may be an effective pharmacological treatment for autism's social impairments. They note that clinical trials are in progress but that larger, longer studies are needed to confirm this role. |
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by repetitive behaviours, cognitive rigidity/inflexibility, and social-affective impairment. Unfortunately, no gold-standard treatments exist to alleviate the core socio-behavioural impairments of ASD. Meanwhile, the prosocial empathogen/entactogen 3,4-methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is known to enhance sociability and empathy in both humans and animal models of psychological disorders. We review the evidence obtained from behavioural tests across the current literature, showing how MDMA can induce prosocial effects in animals and humans, where controlled experiments were able to be performed. Six electronic databases were consulted. The search strategy was tailored to each database. Only English-language papers were reviewed. Behaviours not screened in this review may have affected the core ASD behaviours studied. Molecular analogues of MDMA have not been investigated. We find that the social impairments may potentially be alleviated by postnatal administration of MDMA producing prosocial behaviours in mostly the animal model. MDMA and/or MDMA-like molecules appear to be an effective pharmacological treatment for the social impairments of autism, at least in animal models. Notably, clinical trials based on MDMA use are now in progress. Nevertheless, larger and more extended clinical studies are warranted to prove the assumption that MDMA and MDMA-like molecules have a role in the management of the social impairments of autism.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A review of the acute subjective effects of MDMA/ecstasy | 2006 | Systematic review | |
| Adverse events in clinical treatments with serotonergic psychedelics and MDMA: A mixed-methods systematic review Patients in clinical trials with MDMA or serotonergic psychedelics | 2022 | Systematic review | n = 598 |
| Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: A preliminary meta-analysis and comparison to prolonged exposure therapy Patients with PTSD | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The neuropsychology of ecstasy (MDMA) use: a quantitative review MDMA users | 2007 | Meta-analysis | |
| Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review | 2022 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Natural language analysis of the structure of altered states of consciousness Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 17, 2025
- Investigating the impact of serotonergic psychedelic drugs, MDMA and ketamine on social cognition in psychiatric disorders: A scoping review. Psychopharmacology July 1, 2026
- Serotonergic psychedelics for Autism spectrum disorder: Neurobiological mechanisms and translational prospects. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry June 20, 2026
- Psychedelics and Autism Therapy: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions Current Issues in Molecular Biology April 18, 2026
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and 123 more in the library