MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Veterans With Moderate to Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
NCT ID: NCT05790239
Last Updated: 2025-03-28
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.
RECRUITING
PHASE2
40 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2025-03-01
2026-03-31
Brief Summary
Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.
Related Clinical Trials
Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.
Methylphenidate for the Treatment of PTSD With Associated Neurocognitive Complaints
NCT05776056
Study to Evaluate Safety & Efficacy of d-Amphetamine Transdermal System vs Placebo in Children & Adolescents With ADHD
NCT01711021
Evaluating the Methylphenidate Patch to Treat Former Stimulant Users With ADHD
NCT00780208
Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder Among Adults With Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
NCT02803229
Group-Based Behavioral Therapy Combined With Stimulant Medication for Treating Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Impaired Mood
NCT00632619
Detailed Description
Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.
For each participant, the study will consist of:
* Screening Period: phone screen, informed consent, eligibility assessment, Screening CAPS-5, and Initial Enrollment of eligible participants.
* Preparatory Period: medication tapering, three Preparatory Sessions, baseline assessments (including Baseline CAPS-5), leading to Enrollment Confirmation.
* Treatment Period: three Experimental Sessions, and three Integrative Sessions following each Experimental Session including CAPS-5 assessments.
* Follow-up Period and Study Termination: Primary Outcome CAPS-5 assessment and Study Termination visit.
Conditions
See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.
Study Design
Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.
RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
TRIPLE
Study Groups
Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.
MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Participants will receive a flexible divided-dose of MDMA plus therapy at Experimental Sessions.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Initial doses per Experimental Session include 68 mg or 100 mg MDMA (equivalent to 80 mg or 120 mg MDMA HCl), followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by a supplemental dose of 34 mg or 50 mg MDMA (equivalent to 40 mg or 60 mg MDMA HCl).
Therapy
Participants assigned to MDMA and d-amphetamine will undergo a therapeutic approach, which is detailed in the MDMA-Assisted Therapy Treatment Manual and administered by MAPS-trained therapists. In brief, this therapy is guided by the subject's own recollections of traumatic events. The subject and two therapists provide a comfortable and supportive environment and allow the subject to guide the discussion. Subjects are encouraged to experience and express fear, anger, and grief with less likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by these emotions. MDMA seems to engender internal awareness that even painful feelings that arise are an important part of the therapeutic process. In addition, feelings of empathy, love, and deep appreciation often emerge, along with a clearer perspective of the trauma as a past event, a more accurate perspective about its significance, and a heightened awareness of the support and safety that exists in the present.
Low Dose D-Amphetamine Assisted Therapy
Participants will receive a flexible divided dose plus therapy at Experimental Sessions.
d-amphetamine
Initial dose per experimental session will be 5 mg or 10 mg d-amphetamine, followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by supplemental dose of 2.5 mg or 5 mg d-amphetamine.
Therapy
Participants assigned to MDMA and d-amphetamine will undergo a therapeutic approach, which is detailed in the MDMA-Assisted Therapy Treatment Manual and administered by MAPS-trained therapists. In brief, this therapy is guided by the subject's own recollections of traumatic events. The subject and two therapists provide a comfortable and supportive environment and allow the subject to guide the discussion. Subjects are encouraged to experience and express fear, anger, and grief with less likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by these emotions. MDMA seems to engender internal awareness that even painful feelings that arise are an important part of the therapeutic process. In addition, feelings of empathy, love, and deep appreciation often emerge, along with a clearer perspective of the trauma as a past event, a more accurate perspective about its significance, and a heightened awareness of the support and safety that exists in the present.
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Initial doses per Experimental Session include 68 mg or 100 mg MDMA (equivalent to 80 mg or 120 mg MDMA HCl), followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by a supplemental dose of 34 mg or 50 mg MDMA (equivalent to 40 mg or 60 mg MDMA HCl).
d-amphetamine
Initial dose per experimental session will be 5 mg or 10 mg d-amphetamine, followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by supplemental dose of 2.5 mg or 5 mg d-amphetamine.
Therapy
Participants assigned to MDMA and d-amphetamine will undergo a therapeutic approach, which is detailed in the MDMA-Assisted Therapy Treatment Manual and administered by MAPS-trained therapists. In brief, this therapy is guided by the subject's own recollections of traumatic events. The subject and two therapists provide a comfortable and supportive environment and allow the subject to guide the discussion. Subjects are encouraged to experience and express fear, anger, and grief with less likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by these emotions. MDMA seems to engender internal awareness that even painful feelings that arise are an important part of the therapeutic process. In addition, feelings of empathy, love, and deep appreciation often emerge, along with a clearer perspective of the trauma as a past event, a more accurate perspective about its significance, and a heightened awareness of the support and safety that exists in the present.
Other Intervention Names
Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.
Eligibility Criteria
Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.
Inclusion Criteria
* Fluent in speaking and reading the predominantly used or recognized language of the study site (English).
* Must be a veteran enrolled at a VA Healthcare Center in the Greater Los Angeles area.
* Able to swallow pills.
* Agree to have study visits audiovisually recorded, including Experimental Sessions, IR assessments, and non-drug therapy sessions.
* Able to provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend, or other support person) who is willing and able to be reached by the investigators in the event of the participant becoming unwell or unreachable.
* Able to identify appropriate support person(s) to stay with the participant on the evenings of Experimental Sessions if needed.
* May have well-controlled hypertension that has been successfully treated with anti-hypertensive medicines, if they pass additional screening to rule out underlying cardiovascular disease.
* May have asymptomatic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) that has previously undergone evaluation and treatment as needed.
* Body weight of at least 45 kilograms (kg). Participants with a body weight of 45-48 kg must also have a body mass index (BMI) within the range of 18 to 30 kg/m2. BMI must be within 18 to 32 kg/m2 (inclusive).
* A person able to be pregnant (PABP) must use a highly effective contraceptive method.
Exclusion Criteria
* Have evidence or history of significant medical or psychiatric disorders.
* Are abusing illegal drugs.
* Unable or unwilling to safely taper off prohibited psychiatric medication.
* Current enrollment in any other clinical study involving an investigational study treatment or any other type of medical research, unless approved by the study clinician.
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.
Stephen Robert Marder
FED
Responsible Party
Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.
Stephen Robert Marder
Co-Principal Investigator
Principal Investigators
Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.
Stephen Marder, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Stephanie L Taylor, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Locations
Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Westwood campus
Los Angeles, California, United States
West Los Angeles Veteran Affairs
Los Angeles, California, United States
Countries
Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.
Central Contacts
Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.
Facility Contacts
Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.
References
Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.
Mitchell JM, Bogenschutz M, Lilienstein A, Harrison C, Kleiman S, Parker-Guilbert K, Ot'alora G M, Garas W, Paleos C, Gorman I, Nicholas C, Mithoefer M, Carlin S, Poulter B, Mithoefer A, Quevedo S, Wells G, Klaire SS, van der Kolk B, Tzarfaty K, Amiaz R, Worthy R, Shannon S, Woolley JD, Marta C, Gelfand Y, Hapke E, Amar S, Wallach Y, Brown R, Hamilton S, Wang JB, Coker A, Matthews R, de Boer A, Yazar-Klosinski B, Emerson A, Doblin R. MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nat Med. 2021 Jun;27(6):1025-1033. doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01336-3. Epub 2021 May 10.
Mithoefer MC, Wagner MT, Mithoefer AT, Jerome L, Doblin R. The safety and efficacy of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. J Psychopharmacol. 2011 Apr;25(4):439-52. doi: 10.1177/0269881110378371. Epub 2010 Jul 19.
Grob CS, Poland RE, Chang L, Ernst T. Psychobiologic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in humans: methodological considerations and preliminary observations. Behav Brain Res. 1996;73(1-2):103-7. doi: 10.1016/0166-4328(96)00078-2.
Ponte L, Jerome L, Hamilton S, Mithoefer MC, Yazar-Klosinski BB, Vermetten E, Feduccia AA. Sleep Quality Improvements After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. J Trauma Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):851-863. doi: 10.1002/jts.22696. Epub 2021 Jun 10.
Other Identifiers
Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.
IVAPT3
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
More Related Trials
Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.