Persistent Effects of (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”) on Human Sleep
Richard P. Allen, Una D. Mccann, George A. Ricaurte
Sleep September 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/16.6.560 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | MDMA users and age- and sex-matched controls |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Sleep system call Neurotoxicity Recreational use Anesthesia Electroencephalography |
| Citations | 113 |
| Key findings | MDMA users had significantly less total sleep and NREM sleep, mainly stage 2 sleep, compared to controls. |
Abstract
(+/- )3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a recreational drug of abuse which damages serotonin neurons in animals. It is not known whether MDMA is also neurotoxic in humans, and if so, whether there are functional consequences. Given the putative role of serotonin in sleep, it was hypothesized that one manifestation of serotonin neurotoxicity in humans might be disturbances of sleep. To determine whether MDMA use has effects on sleep, all-night polysomnograms of 23 MDMA users were compared to those of 22 age- and sex-matched controls. On average, MDMA users had 19 minutes less total sleep and 23.2 minutes less non-REM (NREM) sleep than controls. These statistically significant differences in NREM sleep were due primarily to an average of 37 minutes less stage 2 sleep, with no significant differences noted in stages 1, 3 or 4. Although it is not known whether the alterations in sleep observed in MDMA users are due to serotonin neurotoxicity, the present findings suggest that MDMA use can lead to persistent changes in CNS structures involved in human sleep generation.