Flawed, scandalous trials tank FDA expert support for MDMA therapy | Hacker News Reader

Flawed, scandalous trials tank FDA expert support for MDMA therapy

arstechnica.com

6 pointsreaperman4 comments

I had previously commented 5 months ago:

> I've been skeptical that this practice would have long-lasting benefits, but a 2020 study[0] measured outcomes 12 months after the final MDMA-assisted therapy session and saw strong results. Nearly half the participants ceased lifelong suicidal ideation for the full year following treatment.

> 0: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-020-05548-2

But this ArsTechnica article contains so much damning information I'm not confident at all in the study's results. In addition to the concerns previous raised on HN, this article includes the following novel information:

> A few researchers who offered public comment noted that the psychotherapy technique used along with MDMA is not evidence-based. They also claimed that the touch-based psychotherapy technique that Lykos used for the trial ties to dubious cult-like new-age psychospiritual therapy, which, among other things, intends to bring about a "global spiritualized society" and suggests suicidal ideation stems from suffering that occurred in the birth canal. This therapy has the potential to allow for abuse and exploitation, the researchers claimed in their public comment. At least one participant in the trial has accused a therapist involved with the trial of sexual assault during the trial's therapy sessions.

If you are interested in learning more, there is a podcast series by New York Magazine called Cover Story: Power Trip that goes pretty deeply into MAPS. It is just one perspective on it, but a very valid one. Many of these concerns have been raised within the psychedelic community for years but basically brushed aside by MAPS. It all came out yesterday though.

(my personal opinion is that psychedelics are or can be of great therapeutic benefit, but the MAPS/Lykos clinical trial was definitely problematic.)

I get that you could potentially hide the MDMA/placebo choice from the therapist. But how would you even design a study that hides it from the patient, given the really high doses? I've seen them described on HN as higher then what people would normally take, even for really strong experiences. I assume you can't fake that.

There might be some deliriant that produces altered states of mind, such that a patient with no MDMA/psychedelic experience could be blinded. That could also potentially work for the therapist or facilitator. If the control was essentially a sugar pill, I think any reasonably experienced therapist or facilitator would easily recognize whether a patient is under the influence of a psychedelic.

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