Background : 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), known recreationally as “Molly” or “Ecstasy”, is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor. MDMA specifically acts as a weak 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor agonist, targeting 5-HT 2A , 5-HT 2B , and 5-HT 2C receptors. Its potential use for therapeutic purposes with these pharmacological profiles remains a controversial subject. Studies have shown the potential benefits in clinical trials for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A larger amount of data has been provided for the push in support of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in these patients. Objective : The aim of this article is to compute a meta-analysis and conduct a systematic review of the effects of MDMA on PTSD, discussing the potential benefits and adverse events relative to dosing and stability of treatment. Methods : Articles were collected and analyzed for systematic review: 16 articles were included in the systematic review that met the criteria for the use of MDMA in the treatment of PTSD as well as assessing the safety and efficacy of the drug in human participants. Ten studies were used for the meta-analysis, with a cumulative sample size of 168 patients. The significance of the findings on dosing and efficacy of MDMA in healthy human participants was quantified based on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and PTSD symptom scores. Results : The disorders for which MDMA demonstrated a net positive or net negative effect on symptoms are presented separately. Adverse events in patients across all disease classes are presented. The therapeutic index for patients who demonstrated a benefit is also presented. An odds ratio for beneficial and adverse events is used to determine treatment-resistant patients who may benefit from clinical trials of MDMA. Discussion : Findings show promising evidence for the potential therapeutic use of MDMA alongside psychotherapy in the treatment of PTSD. The pharmacological profile of MDMA may provide direction for future drug developments to treat patients with treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has various neuropsychiatric manifestations, including psychotic, mood, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, and cognitive disorders, such as delirium. Although the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to an increase in psychiatric comorbidities, the COVID-19 virus is also an independent risk factor. Previous studies have revealed that the virus can invade the neural tissue, which causes an imbalance of neurotransmitters that cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. The aim of this article is to conduct a systematic review to determine the patterns of neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19, discussing the frequency and its impact on pre-existing psychiatric disorders. Thirty-nine case reports were collected and analyzed for a systematic review. They were full-text, peer-reviewed journal publications from November 2020 to February 2021. Fifty-three patients were included in our study. The most frequent symptom was abnormal/bizarre behavior (50.9%), followed by agitation/aggression (49.1%), and the third most common was altered mental status and delirium (47.2%). Only 48% of our patients had a pre-existing psychiatric disorder, including three not formally diagnosed but displayed psychiatric symptoms prior to the COVID-19 infection. Findings suggest a positive correlation of new-onset psychiatric symptoms with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the exact pathophysiology of the virus itself causing neuropsychiatric manifestations needs to be investigated further.

Focal impaired awareness seizures (FIAS), previously known as complex partial seizures, refer to focal seizures that start in one hemisphere of the brain and are associated with an impairment in consciousness. FIAS of temporal lobe origin most often present with psychopathology, such as behavioral and affective symptoms. It has a bimodal age distribution peaking at the extremes of life. Geriatric presentations can often be subtle and go unnoticed asides from a few symptoms, such as confusion and memory lapses. Here, we present a unique case of a geriatric patient with FIAS presenting as transient psychosis.

We present an unusual case of a middle-aged patient with a near-total loss of autobiographical memory; the memory of one's own personal history and personal identity following a motor vehicle accident. The nature of his autobiographical memory loss was anterograde and retrograde amnesia, with the preservation of procedural learning, including an extensive set of medical skills, which he attributed to his career as a psychiatrist. Of significance was the absence of any traumatic changes in the medial temporal lobe structures, hippocampal formation, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex on brain imaging. The significance of our findings is discussed in the context of the evolving theories of the role of medial temporal lobe structures in memory formation.