This small (“pilot”) study is designed to provide information on whether the combination of psychotherapy with the drug MDMA is safe and helpful for people with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The researchers will use the results of this study to design more studies of this treatment. The study compares a comparator (placebo) and a full dose.
Country Canada
Visit trial
Status
Completed
Results Published
Start date
09 January 2013
End date
04 January 2017
Chance of happening
100%
Phase
Phase II
Design
Blinded
Type
Interventional
Generation
First
Participants
6
Sex
All
Age
21- 99
Therapy
Yes
Trial Details
For each session, there will be an initial dose possibly followed 1.5 to 2.5 hours later by a dose half the size of the initial dose. The study will measure symptoms of PTSD, depression, general psychological well-being, sleep quality, feelings that the self or world is unreal (dissociation), potentially positive effects of surviving traumatic events and cognitive function (thinking, memory and attention). People experiencing pain or tinnitus (ringing in the ears) will record their symptoms throughout the study. Seven people will be randomly (by chance) assigned to receive full-dose MDMA and five will be randomly assigned to receive a comparator. There will be three preparatory psychotherapy sessions before the first experimental session, and subjects will have supportive or "integrative" sessions after each MDMA-assisted psychotherapy session. Subjects will meet with a male and female psychotherapist for all experimental sessions and for sessions before and after each experimental session. Subjects who received comparator can enroll in Stage 2, where they will have three open-label MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions, meaning everyone will know they are receiving an active dose of MDMA. Subjects receiving full dose in Stage 1 will have a third experimental session.. Symptoms of PTSD and other symptoms will be measured again at least 12 months after each subject has started the study.NCT Number NCT01958593
Sponsors & Collaborators
MAPSMAPS stands for Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, it's the front runner in making psychedelics a legal way to use (and improve) in therapy.
Papers
Long-term Follow-Up Outcomes of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of PTSD: A Longitudinal Pooled Analysis of Six Phase 2 TrialsMDMA-assisted psychotherapy showed a very large effect (d=1.58, 56% no longer met PTSD criteria) which improved at 12-months follow-up (d=0.43, 67%).
Measures Used
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is often considered the gold standard in PTSD assessment. The 30-item structured interview was developed by staff at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Centre for PTSD. CAPS can be used to make a current diagnosis, lifetime diagnosis or assess PTSD symptoms over the past week in accordance with DSM-5 criteria.
Beck Depression Inventory
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) contains 21 self-report items, completed using a multiple-choice format. Scores range from 0-63 with higher scores associated with more severe depression.