MDMA Plus Exposure Therapy for PTSD

Summary

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder. While effective treatments exist, some patients fail to receive the full benefits. Alternative treatment approaches are needed. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a medicine associated with feelings of closeness and love for others, empathy, insightfulness, and feelings of peace or well-being. Recent research combining one or two doses of MDMA with psychotherapy has shown improvements in PTSD symptoms. For the present study, the researchers will investigate MDMA in combination with Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE), a gold-standard treatment for PTSD. All participants receive MDMA on the second day of a 10-day PE treatment program in which a PE therapy session occurs each day. This study will occur at the Emory Brain Health Center. Potential participants will be recruited via community advertising and mental health referrals. The research team will also collect psychophysiological data for exploratory analyses regarding how MDMA may improve PE treatment for PTSD. This is an important study as it is the first time MDMA will be combined with an evidence-based existing PTSD treatment. The study population will consist of people who meet the criteria for PTSD and are medically appropriate for MDMA administration.

Timeline

Start

2024-02-13

Primary completion

2026-10-31

Completion

2026-10-31

Publications

• Maples-Keller JL, Dunlop BW, Rothbaum BO. The METEMP protocol: Massed exposure therapy enhanced with MDMA for PTSD. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2024 Nov 24;43:101400. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101400. eCollection 2025 Feb.

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Indications