Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine on Patient Utterances in a Psychotherapeutic Setting.
Vicka Rael Corey, Vincent D Pisano, John H. Halpern
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease July 2016 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000000499 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a double-blind randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder participating in talk therapy |
| Interventions | MDMA talk therapy |
| Measures | Clinician Administered PTSD Scale |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Patients given MDMA as an adjunct to talk therapy produced high levels of utterances about changes in their sense of self, others' emotions, and physical touch compared with placebo recipients. The number of these utterances was significantly associated with post-treatment Clinician Administered PTSD Scale severity scores, including when grouped as many or few. The authors argue MDMA assisted patients in having meaningful, disorder-resolving thoughts and discourse in therapy. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) administered as an adjunct to talk therapy influences patient speech content and increases improvement in treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data came from the recordings of Mithoefer et al. (2011). In the third therapeutic session studied, patients were assigned, double blind, to an MDMA or a placebo group. Condition-blind scorers listened to therapy recordings and scored utterances where patients initiated topics that were empathic (regarding others' emotions), entactic (requesting or appreciating physical touch), or ensuic (describing a change in their sense of themselves). Patients who received MDMA produced high levels of ensuic, empathic, and entactic utterances compared with those who received the placebo. Interrater discourse scoring was reliable. The relationship between the number of scored utterances and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale scores measuring PTSD severity after the treatment was significant, and reanalysis grouped bimodally into "many" or "few" such utterances remained significant. MDMA assisted these patients in having meaningful and disorder-resolving thoughts and discourse in talk therapy.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Perceived Benefits of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy beyond Symptom Reduction: Qualitative Follow-Up Study of a Clinical Trial for Individuals with Treatment-Resistant PTSD Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 8, 2019
- Analysis of recreational psychedelic substance use experiences classified by substance Psychopharmacology January 15, 2022
- The Efficacy of MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Cureus May 17, 2021
- Making a case for using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder and complex PTSD: a descriptive systematic review of the literature Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology July 1, 2026
- A Systematic Review of the MDMA Model to Address Social Impairment in Autism. Current Neuropharmacology 2021
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