MDMA is well on its way to being used as a prescribed drug to treat PTSD

source:google.com/images  We all think we know where psychoactive drugs are being used, in parties late at night by foolish teenagers...

source:google.com/images 

We all think we know where psychoactive drugs are being used, in parties late at night by foolish teenagers looking to get high, right? Well not exactly. Research shows that certain drugs such as ecstasy and cannabis can be used in order to treat certain mental illnesses. Although there is a divide between the scientific community and also the general population as to the morality of the use of these drugs, research is still being conducted to explore the potential of these psychoactive substances.

At the Psychedelic Science 2017 conference held in California, researchers from MAPS or Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies gave a presentation on phase II trials of MDMA that is being used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

MDMA or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is an amphetamine more commonly known as ‘E’, ‘Molly’ or ‘ecstasy’ in the illicit drug selling business. This drug when taken has effects such as increased empathy, euphoria and heightened sensations. How MDMA works is that it increases the release and slows the reuptake of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in parts of the brain stimulating the psychedelic effects. The initial increase in the neurotransmitters is followed by a short term decrease in them.

Last November phase III clinical trials were approved by the US Foods and Drugs Administration to assess the effectiveness and safety or the drug for treatment of severe, treatment-resistant PTSD.

In order to know that the drug works and that it will not cause more harm than good there are a number of phases of experimentation through which the drug must pass.

The initial stage of testing is the pre-clinical testing which basically tells us a possibility of a new drug or medicine. Mostly animal testing and standard chemical experiments take place in this stage.

After pre-clinical testing the drug is tested on healthy people in increasing doses to see whether the risks are too extreme or not. This stage is the Phase I.

In Phase II the drug is administrated to test subjects and it is observed whether the drug has a desired effect at safe dosage. Scientists need to use tools such as controls, blinding and randomization in order to ensure that pseudo-effects are minimized.

Phase III is to see if the drug has enough effect to be declared as a treatment.

Now how can MDMA be used in treating PTSD? Well PTSD as defined by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines PTSD as: “PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” MDMA when administrated to a patient will suppress parts of the brain that interfere with therapy and boost the parts that promote empathy and trust.

"MDMA provides a sweet spot where therapeutic 

change can happen," said the study's principal 

investigator Michael Mithoefer.

"It affects neural networks so that people's 

experiences are not hijacked by fear."

In studies conducted by MAPS, researchers found that 83 percent of the test subjects showed no signs of PTSD after two months of receiving the drug along with therapy.

The results from the latest trials showed that after an year of just two to three weeks MDMA assisted therapy, 67 percent of the patients didn’t show signs of PTSD as compared to a clinical standard.

"The results I've seen so far with MDMA are so much better than anything I've seen so far," said Mithoefer.

MAPS is hoping to gather up 300 volunteers for the phase III trials along with 

therapist that will be trained to implement the drug along with therapy.

If the result show potential it could be possible that in a few years FDA would be passing legislation allowing psychiatrists prescribing this drug for treatment.