Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a phenylethylamine with a chemical structure that resembles both the amphetamines and mescaline and has both stimulant and perception altering properties. The stimulant properties of MDMA were assessed in photocell cages designed to measure locomotor activity in rats. MDMA, over a range of doses (2.5-10.0 mg/kg, SC) produced locomotor hyperactivity which...
Although some substituted amphetamines, like MDA, produce a combination of sympathomimetic stimulation and perceptual alterations, the psychoactive qualities of MDMA are less distinctive. MDMA binds to serotonergic receptors and has been shown to potently deplete brain serotonin concentrations. Biochemical and behavioral evidence suggests that MDMA may also act on the dopamine system. The...