Neuroimaging in Human MDMA (Ecstasy) Users
Ronald L Cowan, Deanne M. Roberts, James M. Joers
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1432.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction MDMA |
| Keywords | Neuroimaging Context archaeology Neocortex Neuropsychology Cognition |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key findings | Human MDMA users may have long-lasting changes in brain function consistent with serotonin toxicity, but neuroimaging findings are controversial and often unreplicated. |
Abstract
MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has been used by millions of people worldwide as a recreational drug. The terms “MDMA” and “Ecstasy” are often used synonymously, but it is important to note that the purity of Ecstasy sold as MDMA is not certain. MDMA use is of public health concern, not so much because MDMA produces a common or severe dependence syndrome, but rather because rodent and nonhuman primate studies have indicated that MDMA (when administered at certain dosages and intervals) can cause long‐lasting reductions in markers of brain serotonin (5‐HT) that appear specific to fine‐diameter axons arising largely from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Given the popularity of MDMA, the potential for the drug to produce long‐lasting or permanent 5‐HT axon damage or loss, and the widespread role of 5‐HT function in the brain, there is a great need for a better understanding of brain function in human users of this drug. To this end, neuropsychological, neuroendocrine, and neuroimaging studies have all suggested that human MDMA users may have long‐lasting changes in brain function consistent with 5‐HT toxicity. Data from animal models leads to testable hypotheses regarding MDMA's effects on the human brain. Because neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings have focused on the neocortex, a cortical model is developed to provide a context for designing and interpreting neuroimaging studies in MDMA users. Aspects of the model are supported by the available neuroimaging data, but there are controversial findings in some areas and most findings have not been replicated across different laboratories and using different modalities. This paper reviews existing findings in the context of a cortical model and suggests directions for future research.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuropharmacology of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): Focus on the Rewarding and Reinforcing Properties of Cannabimimetics and Amphetamine-Like Stimulants | 2016 | Review | |
| Methamphetamine and MDMA (Ecstasy) Neurotoxicity: 'of Mice and Men' | 2004 | Review | |
| Use and abuse of dissociative and psychedelic drugs in adolescence Adolescent humans and preclinical animal models | 2021 | Review | |
| Can MDMA Play a Role in the Treatment of Substance Abuse? | 2013 | Review | |
| Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Navigating High Hopes, Strong Claims, Weak Evidence, and Big Money | 2024 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Strategic control, consolidation and poly-drug use; the relative contributions to verbal memory impairment in recreational ecstasy users UTAS Research Repository August 1, 2014
- Neurochemical substrates of the rewarding effects of MDMA: implications for the development of pharmacotherapies to MDMA dependence. Behavioural Pharmacology April 2016
- MDMA: interactions with other psychoactive drugs. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior October 2011
- MDMA (Ecstasy) association with impaired fMRI BOLD thalamic coherence and functional connectivity. Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 31, 2011
- Human Ecstasy use is associated with increased cortical excitability: an fMRI study. Neuropsychopharmacology May 2011
and 3 more in the library
Cites 16
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users The British Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1999
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) neurotoxicity in rats: a reappraisal of past and present findings Psychopharmacology March 15, 2006
- The content of ecstasy tablets: implications for the study of their long‐term effects Addiction December 1, 2002
- Cerebral1H MRS alterations in recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ?ecstasy?) users Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging October 1, 1999
and 11 more in the library