Current Medicinal Chemistry
June 2, 2025
Jinlong Zhang, Xingxing Dang, Jiang Lin et al.
The incidence of psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, has been steadily increasing, while current treatment approaches remain limited in efficacy. As a result, there is an urgent need to explore more effective therapeutic interventions. In recent years, MDMA (3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has emerged as a...
Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
May 14, 2025
Hannah Thurgur, Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed et al.
3 citations
Safety and tolerability data from the first open-label feasibility study of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder was recently published. This paper presents a Bayesian analysis of the impact of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on treatment success, defined as 2-level reduction in the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking risk at the 3 months...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
April 2, 2025
Viktoriia Kurkova, Olga Winkler, Andrew J. Greenshaw et al.
This scoping review addresses the need to comprehensively explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) to facilitate recovery from moral injury. Moral injury (MI), characterized by profound psychological distress arising from morally challenging experiences, has garnered increased attention as a complex mental health concern with significant functional sequelae, especially...
CNS Drugs
April 1, 2025
Balwinder Singh
6 citations
Trauma is prevalent, with lifetime estimates of traumatic exposure ranging from 70% for a single event to 31% for multiple events. While many recover, a subset develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating condition characterized by distressing memories, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, and mood disturbances. The National Comorbidity Survey reports a lifetime PTSD prevalence...
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
April 1, 2025
Alene Sze Jing Yong, Suzie Bratuskins, Musa Samir Sultani et al.
16 citations
To critically evaluate published and unpublished systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the safety and efficacy of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. Six bibliometric databases and grey literature were searched from inception to 9 May 2024 for systematic reviews on the safety and efficacy of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted...
Psychiatry Research
March 1, 2025
Stephanie L. Haft, Amanda E. Downey, Marissa Raymond-Flesch et al.
22 citations
A lack of diverse and representative participant samples in mental health intervention research perpetuates mental health disparities. This issue has become a salient concern in studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT), which is emerging as a promising mental health intervention. This systematic review evaluates the reporting, representation, and analysis of participant...
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
February 26, 2025
Ziad Saade, Alex S Keuroghlian
2 citations
This article explores the potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy to enhance exposure and response prevention in obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment. We discuss the mechanisms of MDMA, including fear extinction, psychological flexibility, and empathogenic effects that may improve adherence and efficacy, as well as highlighting important safety considerations...
Contemporary clinical trials communications
February 1, 2025
Jessica L Maples-Keller, Boadie W Dunlop, Barbara O Rothbaum
5 citations
This article describes the rationale and the specific methods for an open label pilot trial of 100 mg MDMA in combination with massed exposure therapy for PTSD, a treatment which involves daily exposure therapy sessions for two weeks which has found to be effective. We review the need for novel PTSD treatments and the existing research on MDMA-assisted therapy, and then describe the rationale...
Current Psychiatry Reports
February 1, 2025
Jamarie Geller, Eric Whitney
3 citations
There is a mental health crisis affecting youth, and the utility of existing treatments is often limited by lack of effectiveness and tolerability. The aim of this review is to report on outcomes of clinical trials for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for adults with depression and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and discuss recommendations for...
CNS Spectrums
January 30, 2025
Steve O'Brien, David Nutt
5 citations
This chapter explores the complex and controversial path of MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other behavioral disorders. It covers MDMA's history from research to recreation to medicine, the pivotal trials, and the challenges faced by researchers. Despite recent setbacks for the clinical application of MDMA, the chapter argues that it holds...