MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Growing evidence for memory effects mediating treatment efficacy

Mesud Sarmanlu; Kim P C Kuypers; Patrick Vizeli; Timo L Kvamme

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110843

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Growing evidence for memory effects mediating treatment efficacy

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2024 Jan 10:128:110843. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110843. Epub 2023 Aug 21.

Authors

Mesud Sarmanlu¹, Kim P C Kuypers², Patrick Vizeli³, Timo L Kvamme⁴

Affiliations

¹ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
² Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.
⁴ Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: timo@psy.au.dk.

PMID: 37611653
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110843

Abstract

The application of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy has in recent years seen a resurgence of clinical, scientific, and public interest in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical trials have shown promising safety and efficacy, but the mechanisms underlying this treatment form remain largely unestablished. This article explores recent preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that the treatment's efficacy may be influenced by the mnemonic effects of MDMA. We review data on the effects of MDMA on fear extinction and fear reconsolidation and the utility of these processes for PTSD treatment. We corroborate our findings by incorporating research from cognitive psychology and psychopharmacology and offer recommendations for future research.

Keywords: MDMA; PTSD; memory; psychotherapy; trauma.

Publication types

Review