Subjective reports of the effects of MDMA in a clinical setting
This open-label study (n=29) is a summary report of the first people administered MDMA (75-150mg) in a clinical setting. The data is limited to phenomenological descriptions obtained from therapist observations and subject experiences before, during, and after the sessions.
Authors
- Greer, G. R.
Published
Abstract
The psychological effects of MDMA were first reported in 1978 by Shulgin and Nichols, Because it had originally been patented in Germany in 1914 and was no longer patentable, no pharmaceutical manufacturer could be found who was interested in sponsoring an Investigational New Drug application with the Food and Drug Administration or in supporting research (Shulgin 1980). In 1980, it was learned that, in California at least, drugs that were not yet available commercially could be used within a physician's practice if they were manufactured by the physician or by a pharmacist (Younger 1978). The state medical board recommended that there be peer review, informed consent and supporting scientific literature when conducting experimental work (California Board of Medical Quality Assurance 1980). This article is a summary report of data gathered from the first 29 people administered MDMA in a clinical setting. Because the primary purpose of the project was to assist the subjects in achieving their particular and varied goals for having the sessions, the data available for analysis is limited. Only phenomenological descriptions were obtained of the therapists' observations and of the subjects' experiences before, during and after the sessions. Psychological evaluations by independent observers with testing before and after sessions, placebo control group data with double-blind assessment, and laboratory examinations of organ and metabolic functions were not conducted.
Research Summary of 'Subjective reports of the effects of MDMA in a clinical setting'
Introduction
The paper opens with background on the early clinical use of MDMA in the United States and the regulatory context in California in 1980, where physicians could use non-commercially available drugs within their practice under certain conditions such as peer review and informed consent. Earlier reports of MDMA synthesis and effects are acknowledged, but clinical data were limited. The authors note that this report summarises phenomenological data from the first 29 people given MDMA in a clinical setting, emphasising that the project primarily aimed to assist subjects in achieving personal goals rather than to produce controlled experimental data. This study therefore set out to describe the subjective and therapist-observed effects of single MDMA sessions in a naturalistic clinical context. The investigators explicitly limited their data collection to descriptive accounts before, during and after sessions; no placebo controls, double-blind assessment, independent psychological testing, laboratory organ/metabolic studies or formal physiological monitoring were performed for the whole sample. The report aims to document benefits, undesirable effects, and changes in mood, attitudes, relationships and behaviour that the subjects reported at follow-up.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topic
- APA Citation
Greer, G., & Tolbert, R. (1986). Subjective reports of the effects of MDMA in a clinical setting. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 18(4), 319-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.1986.10472364
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