Legalizing MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Trauma-Related Mental Health Disorders Prakash THAMBIPILLAI Revue YOUR, 2021, Review 8, 51-61 3, 4–methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA as it is commonly known, is classified as a “Schedule 1” substance in Canada and the United States. For decades, the compound has been shrouded by the stigma of being a dangerous party drug thought to kill brain cells and be severely addictive. However, when it was originally discovered, it was experimentally used in clinical settings as an adjunct to therapy. This idea is now resurfacing as researchers are turning back to MDMA as an innovative way to treat trauma-related [...]
Lire la suiteParticipant Reports of Mindfulness, Posttraumatic Growth, and Social Connectedness in Psilocybin-Assisted Group Therapy : An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Eve Ekman, Brian Anderson, Maxx Malloy, Alexandra Haas, and Josh Woolley Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2021, 1–28 Doi : 10.1177/002216878211022949 Abstract The primary objective of this qualitative study was to explore the therapeutic trajectories of individuals undergoing psilocybin-assisted group therapy. This interpretive phenomenological analysis focused on an enriched study sample of gay-identified cisgender men (n = 9) with human immunodeficiency virus diagnosed before 1996 and clinically significant trauma symptoms. Microphenomenological interviews were carried out 1 day after participants’ individual psilocybin sessions to elicit fine-grained descriptions of the [...]
Lire la suitePTSD as a mediator of the relationship between trauma and psychotic experiences Daniela Strelchuk, Gemma Hammerton, Nicola Wiles, Jazz Croft, Katrina Turner, Jonathan Heron and Stanley Zammit Psychological Medicine, 2020, 1–9. doi : 10.1017/S0033291720004821 Abstract Background : Traumatic experiences are associated with a higher risk of psychotic illnesses, but little is known about potentially modifiable mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study aims to examine whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms mediate the relationship between trauma and psychotic experiences (PEs). Methods : We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to examine whether: PTSD symptoms mediate the relationships between (a) childhood trauma and [...]
Lire la suiteEfficacy of Dronabinol for Acute Pain Management in Adults with Traumatic Injury : Study Protocol of A Randomized Controlled Trial Claire Swartwood, Kristin Salottolo, Robert Madayag, David Bar-Or Brain Sciences, 2020, 10, 161, 1-9. Doi : 10.3390/brainsci10030161 Abstract Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC) and other cannabinoids present in cannabis (marijuana) have been shown to affect the normal inhibitory pathways that influence nociception in humans. The potential benefits of cannabinoids as an analgesic are likely greatest in hyperalgesic and inflammatory states, suggesting a role as a therapeutic agent for treating acute pain following injury. Dronabinol is a licensed form of D9-THC. The primary objective of this single center randomized [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation to threat in trauma-exposed adults : a preliminary study. Rabinak CA, Blanchette A, Zabik NL, Peters C, Marusak HA, Iadipaolo A, Elrahal F Psychopharmacology (Berl)., 2020, Mar 11. doi : 10.1007/s00213-020-05499-8. Science/Homme: Le THC peut être utile dans le trouble de stress post-traumatique (IACM 30 mars 2020) Lors d’une étude contrôlée par placebo avec 71 participants, composée de 3 groupes (25 témoins sains, 27 adultes exposés à un traumatisme sans trouble de stress post-traumatique et 19 patients souffrant d'un trouble de stress post-traumatique), de faibles doses de THC ont réduit la réactivité liée à la menace dans une certaine [...]
Lire la suiteChildhood trauma and being at-risk for psychosis are associated with higher peripheral endocannabinoids E. Appiah-Kusi, R. Wilson, M.Colizzi, E. Foglia, Sagnik Bhattacharyya, et al. Psychological Medicine, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719001946 Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 August 2019 Abstract BackgroundEvidence has been accumulating regarding alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system in patients with psychosis. Of all the putative risk factors associated with psychosis, being at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) has the strongest association with the onset of psychosis, and exposure to childhood trauma has been linked to an increased risk of development of psychotic disorder. We aimed to investigate whether being at-risk for [...]
Lire la suiteWhy Psychiatry Needs 3,4 Methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine : A Child Psychiatrist’s Perspective Ben SESSA Neurotherapeutics, 2017, 14, (3), 741-749. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0531-1 Abstract Since the late 1980s the psychoactive drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has had a well-known history as the recreationally used drug ecstasy. What is less well known by the public is that MDMA started its life as a therapeutic agent and that in recent years an increasing amount of clinical research has been undertaken to revisit the drug’s medical potential. MDMA has unique pharmacological properties that translate well to its proposed agent to assist trauma-focused psychotherapy. Psychological trauma—especially that which arises early in life from child abuse—underpins many [...]
Lire la suiteA Review of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Psychotherapy Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed and David Nutt Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019, Vol. 10, article 138 DOI : 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00138 Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom Abstract : This paper provides a brief review of the history, proposed pharmacological mechanisms, safety issues, and clinical applications of the medicine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Most clinical MDMA research in patients to date has focused on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review paper other potential therapeutic applications for MDMA therapy are described, including contemporary studies treating anxiety associated with autism and the authors’ ongoing study exploring the potential [...]
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