Table 4. CAPS-5 PTSD total severity scores by treatment group and baseline self-experience levels.
| Therapy with placebo | MDMA-assisted therapy | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline (n = 44) |
Visit 20 (n = 40) |
Change | Baseline (n = 46) |
Visit 20 (n = 42) |
Change | N | Between-group difference in change scores | 95% CI | |
| Overall Sample | 44.23 (6.15) | 30.48 (12.56) | -13.32 (1.95)* | 43.98 (6.01) | 19.55 (13.50) | -24.65 (2.18)* | 82 | -11.33 | -16.59, 6.08 |
| Baseline TAS-20, mean (SD)1,2,8 | |||||||||
| No alexithymia | 45.19 (2.64) | 24.61 (2.79) | -20.59 (3.75)* | 42.38 (2.60) | 17.96 (2.73) | -24.41 (3.64)* | 33 | -5.24 | -15.44, 4.97 |
| Borderline or Alexithymia | 44.18 (2.14) | 34.98 (2.23) | -9.19 (3.09) | 46.23 (2.16) | 21.77 (2.25) | -24.46 (3.03)* | 49 | -16.16 | -28.80, -7.52* |
| Baseline SCS, mean (SD)1,3,8 | |||||||||
| Moderate or High | 42.47 (2.97) | 26.01 (3.07) | -16.46 (4.23)* | 43.16 (2.56) | 20.64 (2.62) | -22.52 (3.61)* | 31 | -7.48 | -18.67, 3.70 |
| Low | 45.92 (2.02) | 33.48 (2.13) | -12.43 (2.91)* | 46.38 (2.21) | 20.66 (2.35) | -25.72 (3.08)* | 51 | -13.85 | -22.84, -4.86* |
| Baseline IASC, mean (SD)1 | |||||||||
| Interpersonal Conflicts | |||||||||
| ≤ median 2.33 | 45.00 (2.25) | 31.73 (2.40) | -13.27 (3.25)* | 43.43 (2.32) | 18.09 (2.42) | -25.33 (3.29)* | 42 | -12.80 | -22.38, -3.21* |
| > median | 45.03 (2.44) | 30.71 (2.51) | -14.32 (3.49)* | 47.37 (2.35) | 23.93 (2.47) | -23.44 (3.29)* | 40 | -9.72 | -19.79, 0.35 |
| Idealization-Disillusionment8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 1.84 | 46.04 (2.52) | 30.97 (2.72) | -15.07 (3.64)* | 44.03 (2.15) | 17.12 (2.25) | -26.91 (3.04)* | 40 | -12.80 | -22.61, -2.98* |
| > median | 44.33 (2.15) | 31.51 (2.20) | -12.82 (3.07)* | 47.40 (2.49) | 26.43 (2.62) | 20.96 (3.49)* | 42 | -8.54 | -18.41, 1.34 |
| Abandonment Concerns8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 2.28 | 45.00 (2.47) | 31.47 (2.66) | -13.54 (3.56)* | 42.91 (2.23) | 18.17 (2.28) | -24.72 (3.09)* | 41 | -12.29 | -22.12, -2.46* |
| > median | 44.87 (2.21) | 30.94 (2.26) | -13.93 (3.15)* | 48.04 (2.42) | 24.45 (2.61) | -23.59 (3.47)* | 41 | -10.29 | -20.34, -0.23* |
| Identity Impairment8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 4.83 | 45.64 (2.43) | 29.94 (2.49) | -15.70 (3.38)* | 42.71 (2.17) | 15.87 (2.21) | -26.84 (3.01)* | 43 | -11.87 | -21.18, -2.56* |
| > median | 44.49 (2.15) | 32.43 (2.30) | -12.07 (3.15)* | 48.61 (2.38) | 27.88 (2.58) | -20.73 (3.39)* | 39 | -9.98 | -20.41, 0.45 |
| Self-Awareness | |||||||||
| ≤ median 3.00 | 44.27 (2.35) | 29.94 (2.39) | -14.33 (3.28)* | 42.53 (2.36) | 17.53 (2.52) | -24.99 (3.36)* | 42 | -11.05 | -20.62, -1.48* |
| > median | 45.45 (2.40) | 32.44 (2.59) | -13.01 (3.53)* | 47.61 (2.36) | 23.53 (2.43) | -24.09 (3.28)* | 40 | -11.88 | -22.21, -1.54* |
| Identity Diffusion8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 1.75 | 47.00 (2.34) | 32.06 (2.44) | -14.94 (3.31)* | 43.73 (2.19) | 17.19 (2.29) | -26.54 (3.10)* | 43 | -12.56 | -21.92, -3.21* |
| > median | 43.38 (2.29) | 30.77 (2.40) | -12.61 (3.31)* | 48.09 (2.44) | 26.37 (2.55) | -21.71 (3.40)* | 39 | -9.57 | -19.83, 0.69 |
| Susceptibility to Influence8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 1.78 | 44.76 (2.33) | 31.25 (2.49) | -13.51 (3.34)* | 43.76 (2.33) | 17.13 (2.50) | -26.63 (3.34)* | 40 | -13.96 | -23.68, -4.24* |
| > median | 45.21 (2.39) | 31.17 (2.45) | -14.05 (3.42)* | 46.90 (2.37) | 24.41 (2.41) | -22.50 (3.26)* | 42 | -8.78 | -18.65, 1.09 |
| Affect Dysregulation8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 5.80 | 44.42 (2.34) | 27.58 (2.45) | -16.83 (3.34)* | 43.30 (2.34) | 16.83 (2.44) | -26.47 (3.27)* | 41 | -10.81 | -20.37, -1.24* |
| > median | 45.07 (2.32) | 34.38 (2.43) | -10.69 (3.34) | 46.52 (2.31) | 24.19 (2.42) | -22.33 (3.27)* | 41 | -12.07 | -21.71, -2.44* |
| Affect Instability8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 2.50 | 44.53 (2.41) | 29.35 (2.52) | -15.18 (3.42)* | 43.82 (2.27) | 19.11 (2.35) | -24.71 (3.13)* | 44 | -10.66 | -20.08, -1.25* |
| > median | 45.01 (2.36) | 32.67 (2.48) | -12.35 (3.42)* | 46.45 (2.52) | 22.50 (2.66) | -23.95 (3.60)* | 38 | -12.03 | -22.28, -1.77* |
| Affect Skill Deficit | |||||||||
| ≤ median 3.00 | 44.16 (2.32) | 28.11 (2.37) | -16.06 (3.28)* | 42.88 (2.28) | 17.39 (2.37) | -25.50 (3.17)* | 43 | -10.18 | -19.67, -0.70* |
| > median | 45.40 (2.31) | 34.24 (2.48) | -11.17 (3.37) | 47.28 (2.34) | 24.10 (2.46) | -23.17 (3.32)* | 39 | -12.70 | -22.60, -2.79* |
| Tension Reduction Activities8 | |||||||||
| ≤ median 1.78 | 44.67 (2.48) | 28.71 (2.67) | -15.96 (3.60)* | 43.73 (2.22) | 18.59 (2.30) | -25.14 (3.09)* | 41 | -10.20 | -20.01, -0.39* |
| > median | 44.95 (2.23) | 32.79 (2.29) | -12.16 (3.18)* | 46.77 (2.49) | 23.41 (2.64) | -23.36 (3.54)* | 41 | -11.82 | -21.73, -1.91* |
1 Abbreviations: TAS-20 = Toronto Alexithymia Scale; SCS = Self-Compassion Scale; IASC = Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities; ASC = Altered Self-Capacities
2 TAS-20 cutoff scores: no alexithymia ≤50; borderline alexithymia (51–60); alexithymia (≥61) (Bagby et al. 1994)
3 SCS cutoff scores: low (1–2.4); moderate (2.5–3.4); high (3.5–5.0) (Neff 2003)
4 Change scores are Least Square Means (Standard Errors)
5 (*) = indicates a p-value of < .05 for within-subjects comparison of baseline vs. follow-up scores
6 (*) indicates a p-value of < .05 for between-group subjects’ comparison of Therapy with placebo change scores vs. MDMA-assisted therapy change scores
7 All models adjusted for baseline CAPS-5 Dissociative Subtype (Yes/ No), baseline self-experience score (TAS-20, SCS, or IASC score), change in TAS-20, SCS, or IASC scores, and corrected for multiple comparisons using Tukey’s HSD
8 Baseline levels predicted CAPS-5 change scores