No Difference in Brain Activation During Cognitive Performance Between Ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Users and Control Subjects: A [H215O]-Positron Emission Tomography Study
Alex Gamma, Alfred Buck, Thomas Berthold, Franz X. Vollenweider
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology February 1, 2001 DOI: 10.1097/00004714-200102000-00012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Regular polytoxic Ecstasy users and Ecstasy-naive controls |
| Topics | Anxiety MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Mood Statistical parametric mapping Audiology Magnetic resonance imaging |
| Citations | 84 |
| Key findings | Polytoxic Ecstasy users had significantly higher levels of depressiveness than controls, but no differences in regional cerebral blood flow or cognitive task performance were observed. |
Abstract
The long-term use of the serotonin-releaser and uptake-inhibitor 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") has been associated with memory impairments and increased liability to depressive mood and anxiety attacks. It is unclear, however, whether these psychologic deviations are reflected in alterations of the underlying neurophysiologic substrate. The authors compared mood and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) profiles between regular polytoxic Ecstasy users and Ecstasy-naive controls. Brain activity as indexed by rCBF was measured during cognitive activation by an attentional task using positron emission tomography and [H2(15)O]. Mood was assessed by means of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the EWL Mood Rating Scale. Statistical parametric mapping revealed that brain activity did not differ between the two groups. Both groups also performed equally on the cognitive task requiring sustained attention. However, significantly higher levels of depressiveness as determined by the HAM-D and EWL scales were found in Ecstasy-using subjects. These data indicate that, despite differences in mood, polytoxic Ecstasy users do not differ from Ecstasy-naive controls in terms of local brain activity. Heightened depressiveness in the Ecstasy group was consistent with results from previous studies and could be related to serotonergic hypofunction resulting from repeated MDMA consumption. However, this study cannot exclude the possibility that the observed differences are preexisting rather than a result of Ecstasy use.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Polytoxic ecstasy users had significantly higher levels of depressiveness than controls, though no differences in regional cerebral blood flow or cognitive task performance were observed.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Former chronic methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) users report mild depressive symptoms Former chronic ecstasy users | 2001 | Observational cohort | n = 29 |
| Mood state and brain electric activity in Ecstasy users Ecstasy users and Ecstasy-naive controls | 2000 | Observational cohort | n = 29 |
| Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study Children and adolescents from the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland | 2006 | Prospective longitudinal population-based study | n = 1,580 |
| Depressive symptomatology in young adults with a history of MDMA use: a longitudinal analysis Young adult MDMA/ecstasy users from the community | 2007 | Longitudinal study | n = 402 |
| Peri-traumatic consumption of classic psychedelics is associated with lower anxiety and post-traumatic responses 3 weeks after exposure. Adult survivors of a single large-scale terrorist attack at a festival | 2025 | Observational cohort | n = 343 |