Review of potential psychedelic treatments for PTSD.
Journal of the neurological sciences August 15, 2022 Ryan L Henner, Matcheri S Keshavan, Kevin P Hill
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe mental illness with few effective treatments and high dropout rates. Psychedelics, often paired with psychotherapy, are being explored as potential treatments. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is in FDA phase III clinical trials for PTSD; it may work by increasing empathy and reducing amygdala activation during therapy. Classical psychedelics like psilocybin may work through subjective transformative experiences and brain network changes, though they have not been clinically studied for PTSD. In recent human studies, MDMA-assisted therapy significantly improved PTSD symptoms with good safety. Direct clinical evidence for classical psychedelics in PTSD is lacking, but supports such a trial. Studies remain small with well-screened participants.