Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent, chronic, and disabling mental health conditions which are difficult to treat. Ketamine has demonstrated effect for improving depression and PTSD symptoms independently but reports often overlook focused comorbid improvement of these symptoms within individuals. To address this, we assessed...
Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent, debilitating psychiatric condition. Existing treatments are ineffective for many patients. 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy has demonstrated substantial clinical efficacy but relies on prolonged, resource-intensive therapeutic protocols that limit scalability and accessibility. Here, we...
Post-traumatic stress disorder places patients at risk for emergence agitation following surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. Gynaecological procedures, sphincteroplasty, and surgical interventions involving the pelvic floor can involve vulnerable patient positioning in theatre, with inserted catheters and sensory stimulation. Such interventions could contribute to postoperative...
Background: The potential safety and efficacy of the psychedelic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been researched in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials. We examined the occurrence and role of mystical experiences in MDMA-AT. Methods: Data were sourced from two phase 2 randomized trials of MDMA-AT for chronic PTSD, in...
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy has emerged as a potential strategy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a national serial cross-sectional study of U.S. Veterans with PTSD from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023, to quantify the prevalence of potential contraindications, risk factors, and drug-drug interactions relevant to MDMA-assisted...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) shows promise for treating PTSD in adults but hasn't been studied in U.S. military Veterans, who face higher symptom severity and suicide risk. This open-label pilot trial evaluated the safety and feasibility of PAT in Veterans with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD. The clinical trial was pre-registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05554094). The eligibility...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains difficult to prevent after trauma, highlighting the need for early interventions that reduce the risk of chronic symptom development. This controlled study investigated the preventive potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in a validated rat model of PTSD induced by predator scent stress (PSS). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 175)...
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by difficulties in emotion regulation and altered recruitment of prefrontal control systems during cognitive reappraisal. Cannabinoid signaling has been implicated in stress and affect regulation, yet dose-dependent effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the neural mechanisms supporting reappraisal in PTSD remain unclear. In...
Background. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an important public health challenge typically treated with trauma-focused psychotherapy and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). However, high rates of residual symptoms associated with these standard treatments have led to a renewed interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies. Aim. This review attempts to examine emerging...
Background: When administered alongside monitoring and support, psilocybin has shown promise in the treatment of multiple psychiatric conditions. However, the contribution and nature of participant support in the context of psychedelic trials are much debated. Aims: We sought to further illustrate the structure and format of the monitoring and support used in Compass Pathfinder Ltd (Compass)...
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness-based digital interventions have shown promise for improving health outcomes. The Mindfulness Coach (MC) mobile app was found to improve posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). The current secondary analyses expand on these findings by assessing changes in mindfulness-related processes targeted by...
This preliminary study explored the effects of MDMA-assisted therapy on trauma symptoms related to discrimination, as measured by the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale (TSDS). A total of five diverse participants, who experienced multiple types of discrimination (e.g., gender, racial/ethnic, social class, age, sexual orientation), were assessed before and after treatment. A paired-samples...
Nightmares are common after sexual assault and may play an important role in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little research has examined daily temporal associations between nightmares and PTSD symptoms in the acute aftermath of sexual assault. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to test within- and between-person associations between nightmares and...
Background Worldwide, there are relatively few specialized inpatient units dedicated to women with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and comorbid psychiatric disorders. This pilot study examined dissociation and PTSD among women admitted to such a specialized integrative inpatient unit in Israel. We conduct an in-depth analysis of the role of dissociation in these women’s clinical...
BACKGROUND: Neurotic disorders - major depressive disorder (MDD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and specific phobia - have differing pharmaceutical profiles. But all, even when resistant to conventional treatment (TR), respond quickly to low dose (0.5-1.0 mg/kg I.M.) ketamine....
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains difficult to treat; a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to first-line trauma-focused psychotherapy or to sertraline and paroxetine. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a synthetic substituted amphetamine classified as an entactogen, has been studied for more than two decades as a pharmacological adjunct to...
Background Racism and discrimination are pervasive social determinants of health, yet mainstream mental health care often fails to address the psychological sequelae of racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). While psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has re-entered the scientific mainstream, empirical guidance for culturally attuned, integrative care is limited. This study explores...
INTRODUCTION: The treatment of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is significantly more challenging than the treatment of either disorder alone. While gold standard evidence-based treatments exist for this comorbidity, clinically significant improvements are only observed in approximately half of clinical trial participants. The use of adjunctive...
Background: Nightmare disorder (NDO) is a clinically under-recognized sleep disorder within the military population. We have previously reported that 31.2% of patients referred to our sleep disorders center incidentally had probable NDO, yet only 3.9% were specifically referred for NDO. Under-recognition and therefore under-treatment of NDO negatively impacts patients' health and military...