Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits
A. C. Parrott, A. J. Lees, N. J. Garnham, Margaret E. E. Jones, Keith Wesnes
Journal of Psychopharmacology 1998 DOI: 10.1177/026988119801200110 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Young people who were regular or novice MDMA users, or non-users |
| Duration | Single drug-free day assessment |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Vigilance psychology Cognition Recall Developmental psychology Cognitive psychology Audiology |
| Citations | 226 |
| Key findings | Both regular and novice MDMA users recalled significantly fewer words than controls on immediate and delayed word recall tasks, while response speed and vigilance were similar across groups. |
Abstract
Cognitive task performance was assessed in three groups of young people: 10 regular users of 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) who had taken 'ecstasy' 10 times or more; 10 novice MDMA users who had taken 'ecstasy' one to nine times; and 10 control subjects who had never taken MDMA. A computerized battery of cognitive tasks (Cognitive Drug Research system) was undertaken on a day when subjects were drug free. Performance on the response speed and vigilance measures (simple reaction time, choice reaction time, number vigilance), was similar across the three subgroups. However on immediate word recall and delayed word recall, both groups of MDMA users recalled significantly less words than controls. Animal research has shown that MDMA can lead to serotonergic neurodegeneration, particularly in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Although the design of this study was far from ideal, these data are consistent with other findings of memory decrements in recreational MDMA users, possibly caused by serotonergic neurotoxicity.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Individuals who took MDMA in a clinical setting | 1986 | Observational study | |
| Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Abstinent MDMA users | 1998 | Observational cohort | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Older, more educated, drug-experienced individuals | 1986 | Observational cohort | |
| Stimulatory Drugs of Abuse in Surface Waters and Their Removal in a Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Plant Raw and finished drinking water from a Spanish drinking water treatment plant and its... | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 82
- Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Neurology December 1, 1998
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry June 1, 2000
- Chronic tolerance to recreational MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or Ecstasy Journal of Psychopharmacology 2005
- Neurotoxicity of Methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine Life Science July 24, 2013
and 77 more in the library
Cites 14
- Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug British Journal of Addiction August 1, 1992
- 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans Addiction May 1, 1994
- Mood and cognitive effects of ± 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’): week‐end ‘high’ followed by mid‐week low Addiction July 1, 1997
- Chronic 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Use: Effects on Mood and Neuropsychological Function? The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1992
- Lasting Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of (??)Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (???Ecstasy???) in Recreational Users Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 1, 1991
and 9 more in the library