Trial reportJournal of traumatic stress2021
Sleep Quality Improvements After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Trial report in Journal of traumatic stress, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It carries an expression of concern. Cited by 28 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Reconsidering evidence for psychedelic-induced psychosis: an overview of reviews, a systematic review, and meta-analysis of human studies.Molecular psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Evaluating the attitudes of mental health professionals towards trials of MDMA: a randomised vignette trial.BMJ open · 2022Trial
- Sleep Quality Improvements After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Journal of traumatic stress · 2021Trial
- Long-term follow-up outcomes of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD: a longitudinal pooled analysis of six phase 2 trials.Psychopharmacology · 2020Trial
- Posttraumatic Growth After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Journal of traumatic stress · 2020Trial
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized phase 2 controlled trial.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2018Trial
- Interventional Psychiatry and Emerging Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review.Psychiatry and clinical psychopharmacology · 2025Article
- Is there a place for psychedelics in sports practice?Acta neuropsychiatrica · 2025Review
- Further education in psychedelic-assisted therapy - experiences from Switzerland.BMC medical education · 2025Review
- The Relationship Between Post-earthquake Trauma Levels and Sleep Quality in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.Turk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Novel psychedelic interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder and their promise for precision medicine.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2025Review
- Knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about psilocybin and MDMA as novel therapies among U.S. healthcare professionals.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in adolescents: rationale, potential, risks, and considerations.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Review
- MDMA-assisted brief cognitive behavioral conjoint therapy for PTSD: Study protocol for a pilot study.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2024Article
- A rapid narrative review of the clinical evolution of psychedelic treatment in clinical trials.Npj mental health research · 2024Review
- Informed Consent to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: Ethical Considerations.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2024Article
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with gambling disorder?Journal of behavioral addictions · 2024Review
- Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-art Review.Current neuropharmacology · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
- Expression of concern
Authors and funding
7 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Sleep disturbances (SDs) are among the most distressing and commonly reported symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite increased attention on sleep in clinical PTSD research, SDs remain difficult to treat. In Phase 2 trials, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy has been shown to greatly improve PTSD symptoms. We hypothesized that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy would improve self-reported sleep quality (SQ) in individuals with PTSD and be associated with declining PTSD symptoms. Participants in four studies (n = 63) were randomized to receive 2-3 sessions of active MDMA (75-125 mg; n = 47) or placebo/control MDMA (0-40 mg, n = 16) during all-day psychotherapy sessions. The PSQI was used to assess change in SQ from baseline to the primary endpoint, 1-2 months after the blinded sessions. Additionally, PSQI scores were measured at treatment exit (TE) and 12-month follow-up. Symptoms of PTSD were measured using the CAPS-IV. At the primary endpoint, CAPS-IV total severity scores dropped more after active MDMA than after placebo/control (-34.0 vs. -12.4), p = .003. Participants in the active dose group showed more improvement in SQ compared to those in the control group (PSQI total score ΔM = -3.5 vs. 0.6), p = .003. Compared to baseline, SQ had improved at TE, p < .001, with further significant gains reported at 12-month follow-up (TE to 12-months ΔM = -1.0), p = .030. Data from these randomized controlled double-blind studies provide evidence for the beneficial effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in treating SDs in individuals with PTSD.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.