The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has awarded Emory University researchers a $200,000 grant for a pilot study examining MDMA-assisted Massed Exposure Therapy for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MDMA tablets, often referred to as “ecstasy”.
The study is being conducted by Dr. Barbara Rothbaum and Dr. Jessica Maples-Keller at the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program in Atlanta, Georgia. Enrollment for this study is open to any civilian who meets the criteria, including Veterans.
“Dr. Rothbaum, known for her groundbreaking research innovating evidence-based PTSD treatments since 1986, pioneered Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) and Massed Prolonged Exposure Therapy (MPE)”, states a press release. “These two evidence-based therapies for treating PTSD provide a safe environment for individuals to approach their trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations and learn that the trauma-related memories and cues are no longer dangerous. PE, which is one of only three front-line talk therapies currently recommended for PTSD, involves weekly sessions over three months, while MPE is an intensive version that is condensed into 10 daily sessions over two weeks.
“It is hypothesized that MDMA will allow participants to approach these memories with less distress”. says Barbara Rothbaum, PhD, Director of Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. “Our goal is to explore if these two therapies will be synergistic in helping participants emotionally process the traumatic memories.”
In this pilot study, the MPE protocol is modified by adding an MDMA-assisted therapy session on the second day, with the hypothesis that the window of neuroplasticity in the remaining daily exposure therapy sessions will enhance therapeutic learning and emotional processing and potentially improve the participants’ ability to continue confronting their trauma-related memories.
Betty Aldworth, MAPS Director of Communications & Post-Prohibition Strategy, said “This grant demonstrates MAPS’ continued commitment to advancing research to improve our understanding of the utility and delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapies as potential treatment options. Assessing the ability of psychedelics to enhance evidence-based treatments like PE and MPE, which have a large base of trained providers, allows MAPS to both fund novel research and support greater potential access to psychedelic-assisted evidence-based therapies — two key tenets of MAPS’ research objectives.”
Jessica Maples-Keller, PhD, Associate Director of Research of Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, said “We greatly appreciate MAPS’ support for this research and are eager to explore the combination of MDMA with exposure therapy, a proven treatment for PTSD. Our study aims to understand if MDMA may enhance engagement and outcomes in exposure therapy, as we continually strive to improve treatments for those suffering from PTSD.”
Enrollment is currently underway for 15-40 individuals. Participants do not need to be Veterans or located in Atlanta; full inclusion and exclusion criteria can be read at clinicaltrials.gov. Interested individuals should email [email protected] with questions or to apply for participation.
