Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Overview of Current Evidence

Kainat Riaz
,
Sejal Suneel
,
Mohammad Hamza Bin Abdul Malik
,
Tooba Kashif
ORCID logo ,
Irfan Ullah
ORCID logo ,
Abdul Waris
,
Marco Di Nicola
,
Marianna Mazza
,
Gabriele Sani
ORCID logo ,
Giovanni Martinotti
ORCID logo ,
Domenico De Berardis
*
Version 1 : Received: 27 August 2023 / Approved: 28 August 2023 / Online: 28 August 2023 (09:56:04 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Riaz, K.; Suneel, S.; Hamza Bin Abdul Malik, M.; Kashif, T.; Ullah, I.; Waris, A.; Di Nicola, M.; Mazza, M.; Sani, G.; Martinotti, G.; et al. MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Narrative Overview of Current Evidence. Diseases 2023, 11, 159, doi:10.3390/diseases11040159. Riaz, K.; Suneel, S.; Hamza Bin Abdul Malik, M.; Kashif, T.; Ullah, I.; Waris, A.; Di Nicola, M.; Mazza, M.; Sani, G.; Martinotti, G.; et al. MDMA-Based Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Brief Narrative Overview of Current Evidence. Diseases 2023, 11, 159, doi:10.3390/diseases11040159.

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that causes significant dysfunction in individuals. Currently, there are many approved Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy treatment options for PTSD, but unfortunately, half of the patients do not respond to traditional therapies. In this article, we reviewed clinical trials and research on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) assisted Psychotherapy in PTSD patients, its pharmacokinetics and current treatment guidelines for PTSD. Based on the results of the efficacy of MDMA assisted Psychotherapy from six phases II Randomized controlled trials. MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD has received the “Breakthrough Therapy” designation from the FDA. MDMA can potentially reduce PTSD symptoms even in treatment-resistant cases by increasing certain neurohormones, i.e. dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and oxytocin. It also modulates activities in the brain regions involved in fear and anxiety. Future research is needed to show whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and whether its use can be integrated into available treatment options for PTSD.

Keywords

Post-traumatic stress disorder; MDMA; Psychotherapy; Breakthrough Therapy

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Psychiatry and Mental Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download PDF

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0
Get PDF Cite Share 0
Bookmark BibSonomy Mendeley Reddit Delicious
×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.