SynthesisNeuropsychopharmacology reports2024
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Synthesis in Neuropsychopharmacology reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Can ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators be considered entactogens?Psychiatry research · 2025Pooled it
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Neuropsychopharmacology reports · 2024Pooled it
- Article
- Psychedelics in Mental Health: Opportunities and Challenges.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Choreographing time: toward therapy-aligned entactogens for complex PTSD.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Innovations to improve outcomes and uptake of psychotherapies for mental disorders: a state-of-the-art review.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026Article
- Synergies in psychedelic-assisted therapy: a qualitative interview study of psychotherapeutic processes.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Making a case for using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder and complex PTSD: a descriptive systematic review of the literature.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Efficacy and Safety of Psychedelics in Mental Disorder Cases: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovations in Psychedelic and Brain Therapeutics.ACS medicinal chemistry letters · 2025Article
- Use of psychedelic treatments in psychiatric clinical practice: an EPA policy paper.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025Article
- Novel psychedelic interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder and their promise for precision medicine.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder resulting from exposure to traumatic events, manifesting in various debilitating symptoms. Despite available treatments, many individuals experience inadequate response or significant side effects. Previous reviews suggest promising outcomes with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT), but limitations prompt the need for a comprehensive evaluation.
methodsWe searched various online databases and registries such as MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov to retrieve RCTs that fit our inclusion criteria. We performed meta-analyses using Review Manager by applying a random-effects model. Dichotomous and continuous outcomes were pooled as risk ratios (RR) and standard mean difference (SMD), respectively.
resultsNine studies with a total of 297 participants with PTSD were included in our meta-analysis. The control group consisted of inactive doses of MDMA (25-40 mg) or placebo. Our meta-analysis showed that MDMA-AT led to a significant reduction in the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) severity scores as compared to the control group (SMD -1.10, 95% CI: -1.62 to -0.59). More patients in the MDMA-AT group exhibited significant response (RR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.08) and remission (RR 2.32, 95% CI: 1.47 to 3.66) as compared to patients in the control group. There was no significant difference regarding the incidence of ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE), ≥1 severe TEAE, and suicidal ideation between the two groups.
conclusionMDMA-AT demonstrates significant efficacy in improving PTSD symptoms, enhancing both response and remission rates in individuals with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.