ReviewCurrent medicinal chemistry2026
MDMA-Assisted Treatment for PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression: A Visualized Literature Analysis over 30 Years.
Review in Current medicinal chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe incidence of psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, has been steadily increasing, while current treatment approaches remain limited in efficacy. As a result, there is an urgent need to explore more effective therapeutic interventions. In recent years, MDMA (3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has emerged as a promising and innovative approach, demonstrating favorable clinical potential in the treatment of these disorders. Although preliminary studies have confirmed its therapeutic efficacy, a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the research trends and current limitations of MDMA-AT remains lacking.
methodsThis study employed a bibliometric approach to systematically retrieve and analyze research literature published between 1994 and 2023 on the application of MDMA in the treatment of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Relevant data were obtained from three prominent databases: Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus. VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel were used to perform visual and quantitative analyses, focusing on publication trends, research hotspots, prolific authors, leading institutions, and international collaboration networks.
resultsThe findings indicated a substantial increase in MDMA-related research over the past decade. The United States has led the field in publication output, with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) identified as the most productive institution. Key figures, such as Rick Doblin, have demonstrated high influence and centrality within the global research network. The research focus has gradually shifted from investigations of the neurotoxic properties of MDMA to explorations of its therapeutic mechanisms, safety profiles, and clinical applications.
conclusionThis study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the past thirty years of research on MDMA-AT in the treatment of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, identifying major research trajectories and critical challenges in the field. While current findings highlight the therapeutic promise of MDMA and its translational potential, further research is needed to improve trial design, enhance sample diversity, and evaluate long-term effects in order to support the standardization and evidence-based integration of MDMA- assisted therapy into clinical practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40457978What 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.