Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
March 27, 2026
Kade L Huckstep, Billi Newton, Grace Bailey et al.
Comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use is common and mutually-reinforcing, yet there are no pharmacological strategies that specifically target trauma-linked escalation of alcohol intake. We evaluated whether 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), given in a therapy-adjunctive fashion (30 min before fear extinction), could facilitate extinction of...
medRxiv Preprint Server
March 27, 2026
Brooke L. Sevchik, S. Parker Singleton, Analiese Lahey et al.
preprint
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has emerged as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generating considerable enthusiasm in the field. However, rapidly changing evidence in a fast-moving field can be challenging to integrate. Here, we present a living systematic review and open-data meta-analytic resource on MDMA treatment for PTSD. In this initial release,...
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
March 15, 2026
Aurora Balloni, Sarah M.r. Wille, Giorgia Sprega et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as Ecstasy, is a psychoactive substance used for recreational purposes. This study used a stereoselective method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to quantify MDMA and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) enantiomers in human oral fluid (OF). Samples were collected...
Drug Testing and Analysis
March 15, 2026
Simon K. Wellenberg, Lea Wagmann, Matthias D. Kroesen et al.
ABSTRACT 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) remains unapproved for therapeutic use despite the promising results of MDMA‐assisted psychotherapy. There is a need to better understand the safety, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of possible MDMA‐based prodrugs. Like lisdexamfetamine, amino acid prodrugs of MDMA may enable more controlled systemic exposure, but their metabolic activation...
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
March 13, 2026
Marc-Antoine Crocq, Philippe Auby
Aims The recent regulatory approval of esketamine in adults heralded the renaissance of research into psychedelic compounds. However, the relevance of this resurgence for children and adolescents remains unclear. This review examines the rationale for investigating psychedelics in pediatric psychopharmacology. Methods We reviewed recent literature, regulatory documents, and clinical trial...
Journal of Traumatic Stress
March 12, 2026
Leslie A. Morland, Barbara O Rothbaum, Lauren M. Sippel et al.
2 citations
There is growing interest in novel approaches to treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including the use of psychedelic substances combined with psychotherapy, often referred to as psychedelic-assisted therapy, to better meet the needs of patients who do not prefer or respond to traditional evidence-based treatments. Among these treatments, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
March 12, 2026
Natalia E. Fares-Otero, Yuki Furukawa, Marit Sijbrandij et al.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and disabling condition and identifying beneficial therapies is timely and important. We aimed to estimate the efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) compared with control on clinical and functional outcomes in PTSD. A PRISMA-compliant search (PROSPEROCRD42022353261) up to August 14, 2025, covered nine databases...
Frontiers in Psychology
March 11, 2026
Filippo Dellanoce
1 citation
This article investigates the novel therapeutic approach of “amplified psychoanalysis” through a detailed examination of the Ygg case, which offers a descriptive single-case illustration of the integration of MDMA-assisted therapy with traditional psychoanalytic treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The study explores how subjective experience induced by MDMA can interact with an...
Psychedelic Medicine
March 10, 2026
Amy Lehrner, Miryam Sperka, Lauren Lepow et al.
1 citation
There is growing interest in incorporating MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) into structured, evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatment protocols for post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet this risks overlooking the distinctive qualities of MDMA-assisted therapy, which has already demonstrated strong clinical effects, high response rates, and low dropout using a principle-guided,...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
March 8, 2026
Nitzan Geva, Sarah J. Jefferson, Emi Krishnamurthy et al.
Abstract Fear extinction requires dynamic updating of cortical representations, yet the neural mechanisms underlying successful extinction remain poorly understood. Some psychoactive substances induce structural plasticity in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), possibly underlying their therapeutic potential. Here we investigated whether MDMA, which enhances fear extinction, induces prefrontal...
Br J Psychiatry
March 6, 2026
Tor-Morten Kvam, Ivar Walderhaug Goksøyr, Justyna Rog et al.
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in major depression: critical considerations for clinical translation: commentary, Kvam et al.
Psychopharmacology
March 4, 2026
Ava M. Mac, Srinivasu Kallakuri, Alixandria T. Mascarin et al.
MDMA (3–4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) assisted psychotherapy has gained considerable attention as a potential adjuvant therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Reports of the nonmedical use of MDMA suggest its adverse effects may include anxiety and anhedonia. However, the time course of these signs and symptoms and the potential alterations in neurotransmitter levels that may...
American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy
March 4, 2026
Jennifer E. Thomas, Anna Dellarole, Robin J Jacobs
MDMA and ketamine IV currently have the greatest support in the literature for efficacy in PTSD. Studies suggest treatment with these agents under supervision may lead to improvements in PTSD symptoms, with the medications being generally well tolerated. However, caution should be used when interpreting study results due to limitations such as treatment expectancy effect and the potential for...
Drug and Alcohol Review
March 1, 2026
Jack Freestone, Harriet MacDonald, Stassi Kypri et al.
Drug alerts are sometimes issued when samples are found to exceed a pre-determined dose threshold. In Australia, it is common for alerts to be issued when MDMA pills contain ≥ 150 mg of MDMA free-base or 179 mg hydrochloride. Nineteen such alerts were issued in Australia in 2024, raising concerns that repeat alerts may lose impact over time. This study examined experts' viewpoints on the...
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
March 1, 2026
Negar G Ardabili, Shira Tan, María Elisa Márquez De Prado Arrarás et al.
Both the rewarding and aversive effects of a drug contribute to its abuse potential. One factor known to impact the balance of these effects is concurrent and serial polydrug use. A drug class for which such interactions are common is synthetic cathinones. In prior work, history with the synthetic cathinone eutylone had no effect on cocaine- or MDMA-induced taste avoidance in male rats,...