MDMA may have protected Nova attack survivors from trauma, study suggests

Neuroscientists in Israel find signs that the drug helped festival survivors in the attack and the aftermath.

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Hundreds of them were high when, shortly after sunrise, Hamas gunmen attacked the site.

Now neuroscientists working with survivors from the festival say there are early signs that MDMA - also known as ecstasy or molly - may have provided some psychological protection against trauma.

The preliminary results, currently being peer-reviewed with a view to publication in the coming months, suggest that the drug is associated with more positive mental states - both during the event and in the months afterwards.

The study, carried out by scientists at Israel's Haifa University, could contribute to a growing scientific interest in how MDMA might be used to treat psychological trauma.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wpy14wyd0o

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