PLoS ONE
January 10, 2024
Rachel Yehuda, Leah Bedrosian, Charlotte Harrison et al.
52 citations
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial of 90 participants with severe PTSD, MDMA-assisted therapy produced significantly greater improvements than therapy with placebo on measures of emotional coping and self-experience. Participants receiving MDMA showed larger gains on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, and most factors of the Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities, including affect regulation and interpersonal functioning, with identity diffusion being the only exception. Most participants had histories of developmental trauma and multiple traumas. These findings suggest that MDMA-assisted therapy enhances psychological capacities that are often linked to poor treatment outcomes, offering insight into how psychedelic agents may reduce PTSD symptoms.
medRxiv Preprint Server
May 25, 2022
S. Parker Singleton, Julie B. Wang, Michael Mithoefer et al.
9 citations
preprint
In nine veterans and first-responders with chronic PTSD, MDMA-assisted therapy did not significantly increase amygdala-hippocampus resting-state functional connectivity as hypothesized, only showing a trend. After treatment, activation in the cuneus decreased when recalling traumatic versus neutral memories. The amount of PTSD recovery correlated with changes in four functional connections during autobiographical memory recall: left amygdala with left and right posterior cingulate cortex and left insula, and left isthmus cingulate with left posterior hippocampus. These findings suggest that MDMA-AT may alter functional connectivity in brain regions involved in memory and fear processing, but more research is needed to determine if these effects are specific to MDMA-AT compared to other PTSD treatments.
Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
August 30, 2025
Juan Carlos C. Montoy, Ralph C. Wang, Allison R. Coker et al.
3 citations
Between 2013 and 2022, calls to poison control centers involving psilocybin tripled, with nearly all of the increase occurring after 2019. This pattern was not seen for other substances. While the total number of such calls remains low, the trend may continue as psilocybin use rises.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 4, 2025
Meredith C. Meacham, Maha N. Mian, Ralph C. Wang et al.
2 citations
Among U.S. adults who have ever used a hallucinogen, four distinct patterns of lifetime use emerge: a group primarily using psilocybin (16%), a larger group using both LSD and psilocybin (46%), a group mainly using ecstasy (23%), and a group using multiple hallucinogens (15%). Older age is associated with higher odds of being in the LSD/psilocybin class compared with the psilocybin-only class, and non-White participants have higher odds of being in the ecstasy class. These overlapping use patterns suggest that clinical trials and future policies should account for polysubstance hallucinogen experiences.
J Psychoactive Drugs
November 10, 2025
Nicky J. Mehtani, Maha N. Mian, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al.
1 citation
A novel approach combines psychedelic therapy with 12-step programs to improve engagement in community-based recovery from substance use disorders. The authors argue that psychedelics may enhance openness, spiritual experiences, and social bonding, which could increase participation in 12-step meetings and practices. This accessible strategy aims to leverage existing recovery communities, potentially broadening treatment options without requiring extensive clinical infrastructure. The paper presents a theoretical framework for integrating these modalities, suggesting that such augmentation could improve outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders, though empirical evidence is not provided.