NCT03527316

Effect of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (Serotonin Release) on Fear Extinction

Effect of MDMA (Serotonin Release) on Fear Extinction

• Status: Completed
• Phase: EARLY_Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Serotonin and oxytocin play a role in fear conditioning and fear extinction learning, psychological processes that are critically involved in psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specifically, administration of oxytocin has been shown to facilitate fear extinction in humans. Similarly, substances that release serotonin and oxytocin such as MDMA have been shown to enhance the extinction of fear memory in animals. However, there are no data on the effects of MDMA on fear extinction in humans. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the role of acute serotonin release in the effects of fear extinction. MDMA will be used as pharmacological tool to induce serotonin release in this study.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	MDMA	125 mg MDMA per os, single dose
DRUG	Placebo	Capsules containing mannitol looking identical to the other drugs.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-10-18
• Primary completion: 2020-12-10
• Completion: 2020-12-24
• First posted: 2018-05-17
• Last updated: 2022-01-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland