title: MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults.
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.
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, CA, United States. Electronic address: adanforth@labiomed.org.
authors.forename: Alicia L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Danforth
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States. Electronic address: cstruble.md@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Struble
authors.affiliation: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Santa Cruz, CA, United States. Electronic address: Berra@MAPS.org.
authors.forename: Berra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yazar-Klosinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, CA, United States. Electronic address: cgrob@labiomed.org.
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Grob
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012107:Research Design; D012938:Social Perception
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: Autism; Ecstasy; MDMA; Psychedelics; Psychotherapy; Social anxiety