ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

MDMA and talk therapy shows tremendous promise against PTSD

The illegal drug is stepping more and more into the medical spotlight.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
October 16, 2023
in Mind & Brain, News
A A
Edited and reviewed by Zoe Gordon
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

MDMA, sometimes referred to as the party drug “ecstasy”, helped over 70% of patients in a small trial overcome their PTSD. In the Phase 3 trial, researchers found that three months of talk therapy were not nearly as effective as the talk therapy plus the monitored doses of MDMA.

“It’s not a panacea,” cautioned lead researcher Jennifer Mitchell, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. But the approach shows a lot of promise.

Party drug, therapy drug

The trial followed 52 patients who completed MDMA-assisted therapy and 42 patients given a talk therapy plus placebo. Out of the people in the MDMA group, almost 90% responded well to therapy. They had meaningful reductions in nightmares, flashbacks, crippling anxiety, and other serious symptoms. After three months, 71% no longer even qualified for a PTSD diagnosis — compared to only 48% non-MDMA group.

MDMA is part of a class of party drugs that are illegal and have been banned from medical testing for decades. But the psychiatric field has long been interested in MDMA and other drugs like psychedelics for their therapeutic potential. Because there was a ban on trials, for a long time this potential was not studied at all. In recent years, however, that’s started to change.

Psychedelics and MDMA alter the user’s perceptions and thoughts, often inducing feelings of euphoria. From a biochemical perspective, MDMA primarily affects three neurotransmitters in the brain: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are involved in mood regulation, emotional response, and social behavior. When someone takes MDMA, the drug increases the release of these neurotransmitters, leading to feelings of euphoria, emotional closeness, and decreased anxiety.

Because MDMA floods the brain with serotonin — the “feel good hormone” — it is quite popular as a party drug. But the effect on serotonin could also help patients process difficult emotions. MDMA also increases the communication between the amygdala and the hippocampus — and studies on patients with PTSD have found a reduction in communication between these areas.

Therapy and MDMA

Oxytocin, popularly known as the “love” or “bonding” hormone, also seems to play a role, says Mitchell. It seems to foster a level of self-compassion in PTSD patients, which in turn, makes them more likely to stick with psychotherapy. This is particularly important because therapy often asks people to face their trauma, which is understandably tough.

RelatedPosts

80% of Americans believe they read coronavirus “fake news” in the early stages of the epidemic
How exercise can induce systemic metabolic benefits
SETI to check recently discovered Kepler science
India’s first autonomous reusable spaceplane makes successful runway landing

“The problem with talking about distressing memories is that it’s too distressing,” said Rachel Yehuda, director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mount Sinai in New York City. “By the time people come to therapy, they’ve often developed narratives about how unworthy they are,” adds Yehuda, who was not involved in this study.

There were no severe side effects, the researchers note. Some muscle tightness, nausea, and sweating were reported in some patients — but no one dropped out due to these side effects.

Another reason why the study is notable is because it included a diverse group of patients, including marginalized minorities. Due to disparities in trauma exposure, groups that include minorities, first responders, veterans, and victims of sexual abuse have a disproportionately large risk of developing PTSD. However, these diverse populations are often underrepresented in studies.

Can we see MDMA in clinical practie?

Overall, the researchers say “MDMA reduced PTSD symptoms and functional impairment in a diverse population with moderate to severe PTSD and was generally well tolerated.”

“MDMA simultaneously induces prosocial feelings and softens responses to emotionally challenging and fearful stimuli, potentially enhancing the ability of individuals with PTSD to benefit from psychotherapy by reducing sensations of fear, threat and negative emotionality,” the study concludes.

But there are some significant barriers to introducing this in clinical practice. Researchers excluded participants with high suicide risk, comorbid personality disorders and underlying cardiovascular disease from the study, and that could skew the results. There are also still regulatory barriers and there isn’t a clear treatment protocol so far.

But this trial showed consistent benefits of MDMA in an ethnoracially diverse group of individuals with longstanding moderate to severe PTSD and numerous comorbidities. With a low dropout rate and significant mental health improvements, this suggests that MDMA may just be a valuable weapon against PTSD.

The study was published in Nature.

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Chemistry

This Startup Is Using Ancient DNA to Recreate Perfumes from Extinct Flowers

byTibi Puiu
3 hours ago
News

Jupiter Was Twice Its Size and Had a Magnetic Field 50 Times Stronger After the Solar System Formed

byTibi Puiu
4 hours ago
Pieces

How One Man and a Legendary Canoe Rescued the Dying Art of Polynesian Navigation

byMihai Andrei
5 hours ago
News

A Swedish Library Forgot to Close Its Doors and Something Beautiful Happened

byMihai Andrei
6 hours ago

Recent news

This Startup Is Using Ancient DNA to Recreate Perfumes from Extinct Flowers

May 21, 2025

Jupiter Was Twice Its Size and Had a Magnetic Field 50 Times Stronger After the Solar System Formed

May 21, 2025

How One Man and a Legendary Canoe Rescued the Dying Art of Polynesian Navigation

May 21, 2025 - Updated on May 22, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.