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MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
January 1, 1970
Alicia L Danforth et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and potential therapeutic benefits of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in autistic adults.

Results Summary

The study found that MDMA-assisted therapy was safe, with rare and non-life-threatening adverse events, and suggested it could support autistic adults in improving social adaptability. The infrequent dosing of MDMA was noted to mitigate adverse events and improve the risk/benefit ratio compared to daily medications.

Population

Autistic adults with social anxiety.

Effective Dosage

Not specified.

Duration

Not specified.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy
neutral
treatment of social anxiety
autistic adults
-
commenced
#1
MDMA
decrease
Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
individuals in clinical trials
rare
have been rare and non-life threatening
#2
MDMA
no change
Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
over 1133 individuals for research purposes
no occurrence
without the occurrence of unexpected drug-related SAEs
#3
MDMA-assisted therapeutic interventions
increase
social adaptability
autistic adults
-
could support
#4
MDMA
increase
openness and introspection
-
-
catalyzes shifts toward
#5
MDMA
decrease
adverse event frequency
-
-
infrequent dosing mitigates
#6
MDMA
increase
risk/benefit ratio
-
-
infrequent dosing improves
#7
MDMA
increase
adverse event frequency and risk/benefit ratio
-
significant advantage
may provide a significant advantage over
#8
Abstract

The first study of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy for the treatment of social anxiety in autistic adults commenced in the spring of 2014. The search for psychotherapeutic options for autistic individuals is imperative considering the lack of effective conventional treatments for mental health diagnoses that are common in this population. Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) involving the administration of MDMA in clinical trials have been rare and non-life threatening. To date, MDMA has been administered to over 1133 individuals for research purposes without the occurrence of unexpected drug-related SAEs that require expedited reporting per FDA regulations. Now that safety parameters for limited use of MDMA in clinical settings have been established, a case can be made to further develop MDMA-assisted therapeutic interventions that could support autistic adults in increasing social adaptability among the typically developing population. As in the case with classic hallucinogens and other psychedelic drugs, MDMA catalyzes shifts toward openness and introspection that do not require ongoing administration to achieve lasting benefits. This infrequent dosing mitigates adverse event frequency and improves the risk/benefit ratio of MDMA, which may provide a significant advantage over medications that require daily dosing. Consequently, clinicians could employ new treatment models for social anxiety or similar types of distress administering MDMA on one to several occasions within the context of a supportive and integrative psychotherapy protocol.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAnxiety DisordersAutistic DisorderDouble-Blind MethodFollow-Up StudiesHumansN-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetaminePatient SelectionPilot ProjectsProspective StudiesPsychotropic DrugsResearch DesignSocial Perception
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety85
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations58
Citations/Year6.4
Relative Citation Ratio3.05
NIH Percentile85.3%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.88
Normalized Score0.80
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