This study is designed to provide information on whether psychotherapy (“talk therapy”) combined with the drug MDMA is safe and helpful for subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study will compare the effects of a low, a medium and a full dose of MDMA on symptoms of PTSD in 24 veterans, firefighters or police officers. MDMA dose will be assigned at random, and the investigators and the subject will not know the dose given. The researchers will also investigate depression symptoms.
The researchers believe that the full dose of MDMA will produce a greater reduction in PTSD symptoms than the two lower doses.
Country United States of America
Visit trial
Status
Completed
Results Published
Start date
10 January 2010
End date
11 January 2016
Chance of happening
100%
Phase
Phase II
Design
Blinded
Type
Interventional
Generation
First
Participants
26
Sex
All
Age
18- 99
Therapy
No
Trial Details
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder, that can develop after service in the armed forces. Psychotherapy performed along with MDMA is an innovative form of therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. This study will follow on the findings of an initial pilot study in a sample largely made up of people whose PTSD did not develop from serving in the military. This study will investigate whether MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is safe and efficacious in a sample of veterans and whether maintaining an effective double-blind can be better addressed by performing a dose comparison study. This study is a randomized, double-blind, dose comparison study with an open-label cross-over segment that will assess the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Twelve of 24 participants will receive the full dose of 125 mg, six will receive 75 mg and six will receive 30 mg (active placebo dose). An independent rater blind to condition will assess symptoms of PTSD and depression, general quality of life and posttraumatic growth prior to any psychotherapy sessions one month after the second experimental session. After undergoing three 90-minute non-drug introductory psychotherapy sessions with a male/female co-therapist team, study participants will undergo two eight-hour long experimental sessions scheduled three to five weeks apart, during which they will randomly receive either 30, 75 or 125 mg MDMA on both occasions, followed by a supplemental dose of half the initial dose. Participants will undergo integrative psychotherapy in between each experimental session, including on the day after each session. Vital signs and psychological distress will be measured throughout each experimental session, and suicidality will be assessed throughout the course of the study. Spontaneously reported side effects will be collected on the day of each experimental session, and for six days afterward. PTSD symptoms, symptoms of depression, general psychological function, posttraumatic growth and quality of sleep will be assessed one month after the second experimental session, and the blind will be broken. Participants who received 125 mg MDMA will continue to have a third experimental session, and they will be assessed two months after the third experimental session. Participants who received 30 or 75 mg MDMA may take part in an open-label crossover segment that will follow nearly identical procedures, except that there will only be one introductory session prior to the first experimental session. There will be three experimental sessions. Symptoms of PTSD, depression and posttraumatic growth will be assessed at the start of the study. They will also be assessed one month after the second and two months after the third experimental session. All participants will be assessed 12 months after their final experimental session. PTSD and depression symptoms and posttraumatic growth will be assessed, and participants will complete a questionnaire concerning the costs and benefits of being in the study.NCT Number NCT01211405
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
Discontinuation of medications classified as reuptake inhibitors affects treatment response of MDMA-assisted psychotherapyA pooled analysis of participants (n=50) in Phase II MDMA trials for PTSD found that recent tapering off SSRIs may reduce treatment response (CAPS-IV score).
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial
This Phase II clinical trial (n=26) finds that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (75-125 mg) led to significant and sustained decreases in PTSD (CAPS-IV) scores as compared to an active placebo (30 mg). At the 12-month follow-up, the average CAPS-IV score had dropped from 87 to 39 (67% no longer qualified for PTSD diagnosis).
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD: study design and rationale for phase 3 trials based on pooled analysis of six phase 2 randomized controlled trials
This pooled analysis (n=105; s=6) of MAPS' Phase II trials finds significant improvements (Cohen's d=0.8) and no significant adverse effects with MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. This analysis has been done to support starting the Phase III trials (which have taken place).
Long-term Follow-Up Outcomes of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of PTSD: A Longitudinal Pooled Analysis of Six Phase 2 Trials
This long-term follow-up study (n=107) examines the effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on PTSD symptoms. It finds a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms both at treatment exit and at least 12 months post-treatment, with 67% of participants no longer meeting PTSD criteria at long-term follow-up.
Measures Used
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement ScaleThe Clinical Global Impression - Improvement Scale (CGI-I) is a standardized assessment scale for determining the effects of mental health treatment among psychiatric patients.
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale
The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS) is a suicidal ideation and behaviour rating scale created by researchers at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and New York University to evaluate suicide risk