Abstract Background Psychedelic and dissociative drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and ketamine, have garnered significant interest for their therapeutic potential in treating various mental health disorders. However, their psychoactive properties pose substantial risks when used in contexts requiring unimpaired cognitive...
The purpose of the article: In recent years, a renewed interest has emerged in investigating the use of MDMA in the treatment of mental disorders. However, knowledge about the characteristics of recreational use of MDMA, its contexts and effects are limited. Methods: We recruited adult Norwegian participants aged 18 to 65 who reported having had a memorable experience after using MDMA. They...
Revista NeurociênciasSeptember 25, 2025Vinícius Nascimento Cavalcante Da Silva, Gisele Ferreira de Freitas, Julia Martins de Lima Moscatelli et al.
Introdução. Este trabalho investiga o potencial terapêutico do MDMA (N-Metil-3,4-Metilenodioxianfetamina) no tratamento do Transtorno Depressivo, condição psiquiátrica caracterizada por humor deprimido persistente e anedonia. A pesquisa parte da limitação dos tratamentos tradicionais, como os inibidores seletivos da recaptação da serotonina (ISRSs), que apresentam resposta lenta, podendo levar...
Brain DisordersSeptember 23, 2025Matthew Halma, R. Levy, Joseph Varón2 citations
Clinicians and researchers are showing increased interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy for patients who don't show improvement from using conventional antidepressants. This updated review integrates recent developments, including data on lesser-studied compounds like DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, findings from large clinical trials, and evolving regulatory landscapes. In treatment-resistant depression,...
Our findings extend previous research by demonstrating that MDMA increases feelings of trust in the social world beyond lab-specific interaction partners. These findings are consistent with user reports of generalized social well-being effects and support the idea that MDMA may have clinical value from a social psychological perspective.
In a historic move toward transparency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Sept. 4 publicly released its Complete Response Letter (CRL) rejecting the approval of midomafetamine (MDMA)‐assisted therapy for post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The letter, sent to Lykos Therapeutics in August 2024, outlines concerns about treatment durability, study design and prior MDMA use among...
There is a lack of understanding of the nature of the post-acute affective response in the days after ecstasy/3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use and whether this is associated with ecstasy/MDMA use or circumstantial factors. In the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use, we evaluated whether a drop in mental well-being is observed and can be related to ecstasy use. Data for this study...
Abstract Background Self-transcendent and mystical experiences may be key mechanisms underlying psychedelics’ therapeutic effects, yet how these experiences differ across substances remains unclear. This study compared mystical and self-transcendent experiences across psilocybin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and cannabis in a diverse, community-based sample, while accounting for...
September 7, 2025Mathew Herbert, Brian H. Blanco, Dimitri Perivoliotis et al.
preprint
There is promise for 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assistedpsychotherapy as a highly effective and durable treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD). However, the Food and Drug Administration rejected MDMA-assisted psychotherapy inits current form, expressing concerns about the lack of standardization and empirical basis ofpsychotherapy methods. This highlights the need to...
3,4-methelenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) can be effective in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in controlled trials, potentially secondary to MDMA’s effects on neural circuits implicated in fear and reward. Although anxiety, stress, and fear-based disorders involve maladaptation of the neural circuits processing fear, threat, and reward, no studies have tested MDMA’s therapeutic...
Tropane alkaloids and their derivatives represent a diverse class of small molecules with a broad range of therapeutic applications. Many tropanes regulate synaptic levels of neuromodulators by interacting with monoamine transporters such as dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT) transporters. While DAT inhibition plays an important role in the addictive potential of tropanes such as cocaine,...
Abstract Psychedelics have garnered great attention in recent years as treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment‐resistant depression because of their ability to alter consciousness and afflicted cognitive processes with lasting effects. We aimed to characterise how psychedelics are currently being investigated to treat substance use disorders (SUDs). Additionally, we aimed...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention in psychiatry, for which there is preliminary evidence for effectiveness in eating disorders (EDs). The subjective psychedelic experience is considered an important driver of positive outcomes following PAT; however, conventional study design approaches often overlook many of the nuances inherent to the experience. Consequently,...
Emerging evidence suggests that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy may be a promising intervention for chronic pain. We designed the Ecstasy for Alleviating Severe Chronic Neuropathic Pain (EASE-Pain) trial, a randomized controlled trial comparing MDMA with an active placebo (methylphenidate) for pain relief. We sought to conduct a prospective preference assessment...
ABSTRACT The war in Ukraine has led to widespread trauma, with 6.4 million people suffering from severe, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study evaluates the cost‐effectiveness and societal impact of implementing modified group MDMA‐assisted therapy (MAT), with supplemental individual therapy for PTSD treatment in Ukraine. Using a decision analysis model, we estimated clinical...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the United States specifically within the veteran population. The current treatment options for this debilitating diagnosis include trauma-focused psychotherapies along with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). 1 MDMA has recently...
This commentary examines a recent Lykos Therapeutics-funded cost-effectiveness analysis of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD following FDA's 2024 decision to decline approval. While methodologically rigorous in its use of empirical trial data, the study has two critical limitations that undermine its relevance to healthcare decision-makers: an inappropriate comparison to placebo-based therapy...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly called ecstasy, is a synthetic stimulant popular among young adults. Although its psychoactive effects are sought after, MDMA can lead to serious complications, including neurological and cardiovascular crises. Severe toxicity, although uncommon, may result in cerebral edema, hyponatremia, seizures, or death. We describe the case of a...
The resurgence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy marks a pivotal evolution in mental health treatment, challenging traditional paradigms by integrating compounds such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine into clinical practice. Historically marginalized due to regulatory and societal concerns, these agents are now gaining recognition for their unique neurobiological mechanisms and...
MDMA, commonly known as "ecstasy," is widely used in clubs and at festivals, earning its reputation as a "party drug." The increasing demand for rapid on-site dose estimation of MDMA in tablets arises from the need of various stakeholders, including law enforcement, emergency services, and public health officials, to respond appropriately to potential public safety risks and incidents. This...