Substance Use & Misuse
March 28, 2026
Graeme Knibb, Ruby Ward, Paul Christiansen et al.
Background: Self-stigma refers to the internalization of negative societal beliefs and has been associated with reduced self-efficacy, self-esteem and treatment avoidance among substance users. However, little research has explored antecedents of self-stigma such as substance use motives. This may be particularly salient for psilocybin which is used both as a therapeutic agent and a...
June 14, 2018
Carl Alexander Roberts, Catharine Montgomery
1 citation
Ecstasy/3,4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is a popular recreational drug that is a potent indirect monoaminergic agonist that has structural similarities to mescaline and amphetamine. It is presumed that interfering with regulatory serotonin signalling with chronic ecstasy use may result in psychobiological harm. This chapter reviews evidence from studies assessing mood, cognition, pain, sleep...
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
August 8, 2017
Carl Alexander Roberts, Boris B. Quednow, Catharine Montgomery et al.
25 citations
MDMA/Ecstasy has had a resurgence in popularity, with recent supplies comprising higher strength MDMA, potentially leading to increased drug-related harm. Neurocognitive problems have been widely reported in ecstasy users, equally some studies report null findings, and it remains unclear which factors underlie the development of neurocognitive impairments. This review covers the empirical...
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
April 2016
Carl Alexander Roberts, Andrew Jones, Catharine Montgomery
We conducted a meta-analysis on the available data from studies investigating SERTs in ecstasy users and polydrug using controls. From 7 studies we compared data from 157 ecstasy users and 148 controls across 14 brain regions. The main effect suggested ecstasy/MDMA related SERT reductions (SMD=0.52, 95% CIs [0.40, 0.65]; Z=8.36, p<.01, I(2)=89%). A significant effect of subgroups (X(2)=37.41,...