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(Medical-NewsWire.com, May 29, 2013 ) Baton Rouge, LA -- Back in early April, the Food and Drug Administration approved a study to examine whether autistic adults could benefit from ecstasy, but the study has a lot of hoops to jump through and many hurdles to clear.
Brad Burge, the communications director at Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) expects to be able to recruit subjects within the next several months, but it could take longer than a year for the Institutional Review Board to review the study specifics and then longer to set up a study site Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, then how long it takes to actually recruit the subjects, and then other factors. Hopefully he says, it will only take between four and eight months.
Ecstasy, known as N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine or MDMA, is usually a raver’s drug of choice, used at electronic dance parties. MDMA is known as an empathogenic agent and has been found to reduce the fear and anxiety of emotional harm and social connection. While street ecstasy can contain some dangerous ingredients, researchers believe that pure MDMA in a controlled setting may be beneficial to patients who suffer from social disconnection.
The study would first investigate the safety therapeutical potential of MDMA-assisted therapy for treating social anxiety. Existing research shows that MDMA is safe enough for clinical research and testing on human subjects. The FDA concluded that the study was reasonably safe to proceed as “currently written”. The researchers are hoping to recruit 12 adults and study their reactions to MDMA.
The FDA will have to approve some minor amendments, ones the researchers expect they will, then the protocol will be sent to the review board. From there, they will have a few obstacles that include funding for the research. No major foundations or organizations are currently willing to fund research on the use of MDMA, or other psychedelics for that matter, on humans. Because of this, they will have a hard time reaching their $256,000 goal they need for the study. Hopefully, they can get that money from individuals who see the need for this type of study and the potential MDMA has on autistic adults.
A similar Maps-sponsored study published last year found that MDMA could help adults suffering from severe post traumatic stress disorder. One rape survivor told CNN the drug helped her cope with trauma by allowing her to control her thoughts and actions while looking at things differently.
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Source: EmailWire.Com 
Source: EmailWire.com
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