Ecstasy (MDMA) and memory function: a meta‐analytic update
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 10, 2007 DOI: 10.1002/hup.857 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Ecstasy users and non-ecstasy users |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 75 |
| Key findings | Recreational ecstasy use is associated with moderate to large impairments in short-term and long-term memory, with verbal memory more affected than visual memory, and lifetime ecstasy dose does not predict memory performance. |
Abstract
Abstract A meta‐analysis was conducted to examine the impact of recreational ecstasy use on short‐term memory (STM), long‐term memory (LTM), verbal and visual memory. We located 26 studies containing memory data for ecstasy and non‐ecstasy users from which effect sizes could be derived. The analyses provided measures of STM and LTM in 610 and 439 ecstasy users and revealed moderate‐to‐large effect sizes (Cohen's d ) of d = −0.63 and d = −0.87, respectively. The difference between STM versus LTM was non‐significant. The effect size for verbal memory was large ( d = −1.00) and significantly larger than the small effect size for visual memory ( d = −0.27). Indeed, our analyses indicate that visual memory may be affected more by concurrent cannabis use. Finally, we found that the total lifetime number of ecstasy tablets consumed did not significantly predict memory performance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A review of the acute subjective effects of MDMA/ecstasy | 2006 | Systematic review | |
| Adverse events in clinical treatments with serotonergic psychedelics and MDMA: A mixed-methods systematic review Patients in clinical trials with MDMA or serotonergic psychedelics | 2022 | Systematic review | n = 598 |
| Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: A preliminary meta-analysis and comparison to prolonged exposure therapy Patients with PTSD | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The neuropsychology of ecstasy (MDMA) use: a quantitative review MDMA users | 2007 | Meta-analysis | |
| Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review | 2022 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 32
- Durability of improvement in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and absence of harmful effects or drug dependency after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy: a prospective long-term follow-up study. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2013
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Human psychobiology of MDMA or ‘Ecstasy’: an overview of 25 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2013
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): current perspectives Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation November 1, 2013
- The preclinical pharmacology of mephedrone; not justMDMAby another name British Journal of Pharmacology March 24, 2014
and 27 more in the library
Cites 29
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- 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
- Altered Serotonin Innervation Patterns in the Forebrain of Monkeys Treated with (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Seven Years Previously: Factors Influencing Abnormal Recovery Journal of Neuroscience June 15, 1999
- Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry June 1, 2000
and 24 more in the library