Less than a month after the FDA rejected MDMA for PTSD treatment, and days after setting a September meeting to discuss psychedelic and other treatments for PTSD, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has awarded a $200,000 grant to Emory University researchers for a groundbreaking pilot study. This study, led by Dr. Barbara Rothbaum and Dr. Jessica Maples-Keller at the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program in Atlanta, could redefine treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The study will investigate the potential synergy between MDMA-assisted therapy and Massed Exposure Therapy (MPE) in treating PTSD. Dr. Rothbaum, a pioneer in PTSD treatment since 1986, is renowned for her development of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) and its intensive version, Massed Prolonged Exposure Therapy (MPE). These evidence-based therapies help individuals safely confront their trauma-related memories and learn that these memories and associated cues no longer pose a threat. PE typically involves weekly sessions over three months, while MPE is condensed into 10 daily sessions over two weeks.
This novel study will enhance the MPE protocol by adding an MDMA-assisted therapy session on the second day. The hypothesis is that MDMA will facilitate emotional processing by reducing distress, potentially improving participants’ ability to confront and process traumatic memories. “It is hypothesized that MDMA will allow participants to approach these memories with less distress. Our goal is to explore if these two therapies will be synergistic in helping participants emotionally process the traumatic memories,” said Dr. Rothbaum.
Betty Aldworth, MAPS director of communications & post-prohibition strategy, emphasized the significance of this research: “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.”
Enrollment for the study is open to 15-40 participants, including both civilians and veterans. This research holds significant promise for expanding the treatment options available for individuals suffering from PTSD and could potentially lead to a more effective and compassionate approach to addressing this debilitating condition.
