The 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine enhances early visual processing for salient socio-emotional stimuli.

Connor J Haggarty; Anya K. Bershad; Mahesh K Kumar; Royce Lee; Harriet de Wit

doi:10.1111/ejn.16346

The 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine enhances early visual processing for salient socio-emotional stimuli.

Connor J Haggarty, Anya K. Bershad, Mahesh K Kumar, Royce Lee, Harriet de Wit

European Journal of Neuroscience June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16346 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Interventions	MDMA Methamphetamine
Topics	MDMA
Keywords	EEG Faces Methamphetamine Psychopharmacology Emotion-perception Social-cognition Psychedelics
Citations	1
Key findings	MDMA enhanced the N170 component for happy and angry faces compared to neutral faces, while methamphetamine did not affect this measure.

Abstract

The 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has long been used non-medically, and it is currently under investigation for its potential therapeutic benefits. Both uses may be related to its ability to enhance empathy, sociability, emotional processing and its anxiolytic effects. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects, and their specificity to MDMA compared to other stimulants, are not yet fully understood. Here, using electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated the effects of MDMA and a prototypic stimulant, methamphetamine (MA), on early visual processing of socio-emotional stimuli in an oddball emotional faces paradigm. Specifically, we examined whether MDMA or MA enhance the processing of facial expressions, compared to placebo, during the early stages of visual perception. MDMA enhanced an event-related component that is sensitive to detecting faces (N170), specifically for happy and angry expressions compared to neutral faces. MA did not affect this measure, and neither drug altered other components of the response to emotional faces. These findings provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of MDMA on socio-emotional processing and may have implications for the therapeutic use of MDMA in the treatment of social anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on MDMA, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Patients with severe PTSD, including those with comorbidities such as dissociation,...	2021	Randomized controlled trial	n = 90
The safety and efficacy of {+/-}3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Patients with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder refractory to both psychotherapy...	2010	Randomized controlled trial	n = 20
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial. Military veterans and first responders aged 18 or older with chronic PTSD lasting 6...	2018	Randomized, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial	n = 26
A randomized, controlled pilot study of MDMA (±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of resistant, chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Patients with treatment-resistant PTSD	2012	Randomized controlled trial	n = 12
MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Adults with moderate to severe post-traumatic stress disorder	2023	Randomized controlled trial	n = 104

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