Ibogaine is an atypical psychedelic that evokes unique subjective effects, including mystical experiences. Mystical experiences have shown a mediating effect on clinical improvements following treatment with several psychedelic substances; however, the relationship between mystical experiences and clinical outcomes following ibogaine remains unclear. We examined the association between mystical...
Highly stressful events can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-a significant public health concern which existing treatments (e.g., psychotherapy and traditional medications) have shown marginal efficacy for.Psychedelics-alternatively called hallucinogens-are psychoactive substances that cause perception, mood, and cognitive changes.Because they are known for their impact on neuron...
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and chronic mental health condition with limited effective treatment options. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphethamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT) has shown promise in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials, with many research participants reporting significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. However, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA)...
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with maladaptive memory reconsolidation and overgeneralized fear responses. EMDR therapy promotes trauma reprocessing by activating the brain's intrinsic memory reconsolidation mechanism, facilitating memory updating, and abandoning outdated emotional schemas. Ketamine may also facilitate adaptive updating of traumatic memory due to...
We review the recent published literature on nightmare-focused interventions, including imagery rehearsal therapy, for trauma-exposed adult populations. Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) and prazosin remain the most supported treatments, though results vary across studies. New consensus guidelines have led to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N), which integrates rescripting,...
Translational PsychiatryOctober 31, 2025Kristin L Dawson, Athena May Jean M. Carangan, Jessica Klunder et al.2 citations
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are debilitating psychiatric conditions associated with poor health outcomes similarly observed in non-pathological aging. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist with demonstrated rapid reduction in symptoms associated with Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) and PTSD. Ketamine's effects on...
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 5-7% of the population, with conventional treatments often proving inadequate for some patients. Recent studies suggest that methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) combined with psychotherapy may offer a novel therapeutic approach. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the...
MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“ecstasy,” “molly”), is a distinctive entactogen that reverses the serotonin (5-HT) transporter to increase synaptic 5-HT, while also engaging catecholaminergic and oxytocinergic pathways. In clinical trials, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has yielded substantial improvements in treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although regulatory...
MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) shows promise, but attitudes and beliefs about this treatment, especially in symptomatic veterans, remain poorly understood. We sought to explore relevant attitudes in veterans receiving healthcare from Veterans Affairs as a step toward designing relevant surveys or psychoeducation materials for future work. We employed a...
Abstract Objective This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress and quality of life in unstably-housed women undergoing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Despite the potential for MBSR to be a helpful adjunct to ongoing care, prior research on the benefit of MBSR in...