MDMA Self-Administration in Laboratory Animals: A Summary of the Literature and Proposal for Future Research
Neuropsychobiology 2009 DOI: 10.1159/000253549 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Drugs of abuse Hallucinogen Self-administration Dopamine Pharmacology |
| Citations | 71 |
| Key findings | MDMA is generally a lower-efficacy reinforcer than other drugs of abuse, but repeated exposure may shift the balance from serotonin to dopamine responses, promoting self-administration. |
Abstract
The prevalence of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use has increased globally and the pattern of consumption has changed considerably. Previously, a subculture of MDMA users was fairly restricted to the dance club scene. More recently, use has spread outside of this subculture and now many users consume MDMA frequently and in large amounts and some meet criteria for drug abuse and/or dependence. Because of confounds associated with studying drug users and abusers, animal models have been employed to investigate potential consequences of drug-taking. Among these, self-administration by laboratory animals has been shown to have excellent predictive validity. There have, however, been mixed results with respect to the ability of MDMA to support and maintain self-administration by laboratory animals. This paper reviews the literature on MDMA self-administration in laboratory primates and rodents. Most of the studies in laboratory animals suggest that only low levels of MDMA are self-administered on a daily basis but some have indicated high levels of self-administered MDMA in certain subjects. Differences might be dependent upon the number of test sessions, prior training conditions or other paradigmatic variables. In most cases, MDMA was found to be a lower efficacy reinforcer than other drugs of abuse. It is suggested that the MDMA self-administration develops following a decrease in MDMA-produced serotonin release that occurs with repeated exposure over an extended period of testing. It is hypothesized that the deficit in central serotonin increases the relative MDMA-produced dopamine responses and that this increase in the dopamine response underlies the development and maintenance of MDMA self-administration.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Pharmacology of MDMA | 2004 | Review | |
| Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research | 2001 | Review | |
| 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans | 1994 | Review | |
| (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals | 2000 | Review | |
| Amphetamine toxicities | 2010 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 32
- Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology January 26, 2015
- The ugly side of amphetamines: short- and long-term toxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’), methamphetamine and d-amphetamine Biological Chemistry January 2, 2011
- MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 4, 2016
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 12, 2018
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): current perspectives Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation November 1, 2013
and 27 more in the library
Cites 30
- 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
- (±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Selectively Damages Central Serotonergic Neurons in Nonhuman Primates JAMA July 1, 1988
- Chronic tolerance to recreational MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or Ecstasy Journal of Psychopharmacology 2005
- Neurotoxicity of methylenedioxyamphetamines (MDMA; ecstasy) in humans: how strong is the evidence for persistent brain damage? Addiction February 27, 2006
and 25 more in the library