Everything You Need To Know About MDMA Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine is a psychoactive substance that became illegal in the eighties, which caused all the medical surveys, research, and trials of MDMA as a remedial substance to cease.
Clinical research started to pick up again, mostly thanks to the efforts of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
The organization conducts clinical trials aiming to prove that MDMA is a valid drug to use, together with psychotherapy, in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MAPS and other clinical trial companies are actively searching for volunteers to participate in clinical trials involving MDMA.
Why Are MDMA PTSD Clinical Trials Important?
Clinical trials, by definition, are supposed to use humans as test subjects to discover new treatment or diagnostic methods, which will help patients suffering from conditions such as PTSD.
Individuals aiming to find clinical trials focused on PTSD research are dealing with ongoing flashbacks, nightmares, feelings of anger, guilt, or shame resulting from a traumatic experience.
This, in addition to the fact that PTSD researchers often test psychedelic substances, is why PTSD trials rarely involve healthy individuals looking for paid studies and are focused on working with patients.
How Can MDMA Help With PTSD?
MDMA induces certain effects which, in combination with psychotherapy, can help patients to revisit the traumatic memories without being re-traumatized.
MDMA can assist psychotherapy because it:
- Decreases defensiveness
- Reduces anxiety
- Increases relaxation
- Improves mood
This creates a safe environment for patients to explore their trauma and face the emotions associated with it without increased anxiety.
Why Are MDMA Clinical Trials Taboo?
There is a widespread misconception that MDMA is the same as ecstasy.
Ecstasy may or may not contain a small amount of MDMA, in addition to a bunch of other dangerous ingredients. But this is not the drug used in a clinical setting with the support of health professionals.
The bias against MDMA research stems from the notion that the clinical trial that works by operating in a controlled clinical setting using a pharmaceutical-grade drug is the same as the recreational use of ecstasy.
Is the MDMA Clinical Trial the Right Fit for You?
The specifics depend on the type of clinical study, but MDMA PTSD research, especially in later trial phases, usually constitutes a randomized clinical trial.
This means that before verifying your eligibility, you should consider whether the concept of the trial works for you.
Some questions to ask yourself are:
- Am I okay with placebos?—A randomized trial means that the participants are split into groups—one gets the MDMA-based treatment and another one a placebo
- Can I handle blind-type trials?—MDMA trials are usually double-blind, which means that no one knows which groups receive the treatment and which one the placebo. The opposite is an open-label trial, which is rare with MDMA tests
- Would I sign a clinical trial ICF?—It's an Informed Consent Form that states that you are joining as a willing participant
- Am I only looking for clinical trials near me?—You may not be able to find MDMA clinical trials locally, but a lot of researchers accept participants from remote areas
Am I Eligible To Take Part in the MDMA PTSD Clinical Trial?
Each research institute or organization will set their own rules for screening participants. Researchers usually don't discriminate against race or gender when it comes to PTSD trials. The location also shouldn't be an issue.
Some general outlines state that participants:
- Have to be 18 or older
- Need to have a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD
- Cannot have confirmed diagnosis of any psychological and personality disorders
- Are able to swallow pills
- Need to agree to provide a contact to be reached in the event of a participant becoming suicidal or unreachable
- Cannot have uncontrolled hypertension, history of heart failure, hypokalemia, symptomatic liver disease, hyponatremia, or hyperthermia
- Cannot be abusing illegal drugs
How To Sign Up for MDMA Clinical Trials With DoNotPay
DoNotPay can sign you up for an MDMA clinical trial of your choice in a few clicks.
Here is how it works:
- Access DoNotPay from your
- Select the Clinical Trials feature
- Tap Get Started
- Filter your search based on estimated compensation, distance, type of study, safety measures, placebo inclusion, and other factors.
- Click on the MDMA clinical trial you like
- Tap Contact
We will contact the research team to ensure your enrollment.
You can expect an answer within a few days, but you can also keep track of the trial on your homepage.
The homepage is where you can monitor other trials as well. As soon as researchers post a new study, it will appear on our homepage—you can bookmark it for later if you want to be in the loop.
You can also set up text notifications to let you know about upcoming trials in your area.
Other Ways To Find MDMA Clinical Trials
You can check out some notable clinical trial databases and trustworthy sources in the table below:
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a non-profit research organization behind the largest MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinical trials. They are currently conducting Phase III clinical trials in the USA, Canada, and Israel and are about to launch FDA approved expanded access program for people with treatment-resistant PTSD | |
The European Union Clinical Trials Register lets you find MDMA trials as long as they are conducted in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) or are linked to either of them | |
ClinicalTrials |
ClinicalTrials is one of the largest registries of clinical trials with detailed info about studies conducted in the U.S. and worldwide. You can find details about the purpose of the trial, duration, participant criteria, location, and contact numbers |
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an up-to-date page on publicly financed clinical trials conducted mostly in Bethesda | |
ResearchMatch is an online tool created to match potential participants with researchers |
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You can also use our no-deposit virtual credit card to sign up for any free trial. Our virtual credit card guarantees approval, and you don't have to worry about being charged when the trial ends.
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