MDMA and PTSD therapy?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that develops following a traumatic event. Although treatments are available, between 35% and 47% of patients are non-responders, and the relapse rate is around 20%. Other therapeutic avenues have therefore been explored...

PTSD affects between 5% and 12% of the general population. It involves 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭, as well as physical manifestations linked to the reliving. Around 20% of patients develop a chronic form of PTSD. The current 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬 (cognitive-behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing [EMDR]). Drug treatments such as antidepressants or anxiolytics can also be prescribed to relieve symptoms.

MDMA, commonly found at rave parties 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐜𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲, is thought to potentiate the effect of psychotherapy. In fact, a 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝟑 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 studied the effects of 𝐌𝐃𝐌𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 in an ethnically diverse population suffering from PTSD. The results, published in 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑒, showed that symptoms and functional disability caused by PTSD 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐃𝐌𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. After three sessions, the proportion of patients in remission was higher in the MDMA group than in the placebo group, irrespective of PTSD severity, sex, or ethnic origin. Overall, treatment tolerance was 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.

However, even though the treatment was double-blind, most patients were able to guess whether they had received MDMA or placebo. The researchers next plan to conduct a follow-up study to investigate the 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐃𝐌𝐀-𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲, with a view to submit a new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration.