Routledge eBooks
October 10, 2018
Andrew C. Parrott
In Chapter 15 , ‘Clinical and medical management of conditions caused by MDMA or “Ecstasy”’, Andrew Parrott provides an overview of the evolution of the MDMA market over the years, which has become increasingly more complex and multifaceted with the introduction of products containing very high doses of MDMA or substances passed as MDMA but actually containing a series of different products. A...
Addictive Behaviors
September 4, 2018
Thomas D. W. Wilcockson, Emmanuel M Pothos, Andrew C. Parrott
10 citations
BACKGROUND: An attentional bias towards substance-related stimuli has been demonstrated with alcohol drinkers and many other types of substance user. There is evidence to suggest that the strength of an attentional bias may vary as a result of context (or use intention), especially within Ecstasy/MDMA users. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to empirically investigate attentional biases by observing the...
Brain Sciences
March 13, 2018
Andrew C. Parrott
13 citations
Many novel psychoactive substances (NPS) have entered the recreational drug scene in recent years, yet the problems they cause are similar to those found with established drugs. This article will debate the psychobiological effects of these newer and more traditional substances. It will show how they disrupt the same core psychobiological functions, so damaging well-being in similar ways. Every...
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...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
August 2017
Andrew C. Parrott, Luke A. Downey, Carl A Roberts et al.
The purpose of this article is to debate current understandings about the psychobiological effects of recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or 'ecstasy'), and recommend theoretically-driven topics for future research. Recent empirical findings, especially those from novel topic areas were reviewed. Potential causes for the high variance often found in group findings were also...
Behavioural Pharmacology
December 1, 2016
Andrew C. Parrott
19 citations
Most research into 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has debated its psychobiological effects in relation to neurotransmission. This article debates the contributory roles of the neurohormones oxytocin and cortisol for their psychobiological effects in humans. The empirical literature on these neurohormones is reviewed and suggestions for future research outlined. Acute MDMA or ‘ecstasy’...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
December 2016
Lewis Jones, Phil Reed, Andrew C. Parrott
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of mephedrone and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), as reported by young recreational polydrug users. 152 MDMA users and 81 mephedrone users were recruited through snowballing on social network sites. They completed a standard online questionnaire for either mephedrone or MDMA. The questions covered the average amount taken per...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
July 1, 2015
Lynn T. Singer, Derek G. Moore, Meeyoung O. Min et al.
16 citations
This paper aims to review findings from a longitudinal study of prenatal methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) on infant development.
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
July 2015
Aimee L May, Andrew C. Parrott
Previous studies have shown increased sexual risk-taking in experienced MDMA/ecstasy users. The main objectives of this study were to compare levels of sexual risk-taking between a young student sample of predominantly heterosexual MDMA users and alcohol-drinker controls and investigate potential gender differences. Recreational drug use and sexual risk questionnaires were completed by 20 MDMA...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
March 1, 2014
Andrew C. Parrott, H. Sands, Lewis Jones et al.
35 citations
Previous research has revealed an acute 8-fold increase in salivary cortisol following self-administrated Ecstasy/MDMA in dance clubbers. It is currently not known to what extent repeated usage impacts upon activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis over a more prolonged period of time. This study investigated the integrated cortisol levels in 3-month hair samples from recent...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
March 2014
Andrew C. Parrott
Human Psychopharmacology recently published my review into the increase in empirical knowledge about the human psychobiology of MDMA over the past 25 years (Parrott, 2013a). Deficits have been demonstrated in retrospective memory, prospective memory, higher cognition, complex visual processing, sleep architecture, sleep apnoea, pain, neurohormonal activity, and psychiatric status. Neuroimaging...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
January 2014
John Turner, Andrew C. Parrott, Julia Goodwin et al.
The recreational drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or 'Ecstasy' is associated with heightened psychiatric distress and feelings of depression. The Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) monitored the psychiatric symptom profiles of mothers who used Ecstasy/MDMA while pregnant, and followed them over the first year post-partum. We compared 28 young women whom took MDMA during their...
Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2011
Adrian P. Burgess, Louise Venables, Helena Jones et al.
26 citations
Objectives Ecstasy is a recreational drug whose active ingredient, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), acts predominantly on the serotonergic system. Although MDMA is known to be neurotoxic in animals, the long-term effects of recreational Ecstasy use in humans remain controversial but one commonly reported consequence is mild cognitive impairment particularly affecting verbal episodic...
Psychopharmacology
June 2011
Andrew C. Parrott, Amy Gibbs, Andrew Scholey et al.
This study investigated the acute mood effects of oral MDMA, methamphetamine, and placebo in a double-blind laboratory study. Fifty-two healthy participants comprised abstinent recreational users of stimulant drugs, 27 female and 25 male, mean age 24.8 years. Three test sessions involved acute 100 mg oral 3.4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 0.42 mg/kg oral methamphetamine, and matching...
Advances in Consciousness Research
October 28, 2010
Andrew C. Parrott
The willingness of humans to take psychoactive drugs may reflect an unconscious optimism bias, where users focus on desired aims rather than actual consequences. A series of in-depth interviews will illustrate the experiences and explicit knowledge of recreational Ecstasy/MDMA users. Next an unpublished empirical study will be described, where four subgroups of Ecstasy users reported that MDMA...
Addictive Behaviors
June 2004
Andrew Scholey, Andrew C. Parrott, Tom Buchanan et al.
Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users often take a variety of psychoactive drugs, but there is little empirical data on how these drug consumption patterns change with greater experience of Ecstasy. The aim of this study was to compare the polydrug usage patterns reported by non-Ecstasy users, novice Ecstasy users, moderate Ecstasy users, and heavy Ecstasy users....