On March 25, 2015, a paper presenting the rationale for our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of social anxiety in autistic adults was published in the peer-reviewed journal Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. MAPS has paid to make available for free download. Highlights of the paper include: (1) The need to develop effective treatments for social anxiety in autistic adults is presently unmet; (2) MDMA-assisted therapy could reduce social anxiety symptoms and increase social adaptability in autistic adults; (3) MDMA does not require ongoing administration to achieve lasting benefits; and (4) Pure MDMA used in approved clinical settings is safer than the recreational use of “Ecstasy” or “molly.” The paper proposes that “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.” The authors of the paper are Alicia L. Danforth, Ph.D. (Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute), Christopher M. Struble, M.D. (Harbor-UCLA Medical Center), Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Ph.D. (MAPS), and Charles S. Grob, M.D. (Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute). View abstract | Download full text…
