Conflict monitoring and emotional processing in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine users - A comparative neurophysiological study.
Antje Opitz, Josua Zimmermann, David M. Cole, Rebecca C Coray, Anna Zachäi, Markus R Baumgartner, Andrea E. Steuer, Maximilian Pilhatsch, Boris B. Quednow, Christian Beste, Ann-Kathrin Stock
NeuroImage: Clinical 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103579 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 163 |
| Population | Chronic but recently abstinent users of methamphetamine (n=38) and MDMA (n=42), plus amphetamine-naïve healthy controls (n=83) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Conflict control Erp Methamphetamine Social cognition Stroop effect Drug effects Cognitive processing Emotional processing Brain imaging |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Both MDMA and methamphetamine users showed smaller behavioral effects of cognitive-emotional conflict processing and selective deficits in emotional processing of anger, underpinned by stronger P3 ERP modulations. |
Abstract
In stimulant use and addiction, conflict control processes are crucial for regulating substance use and sustaining abstinence, which can be particularly challenging in social-affective situations. Users of methamphetamine (METH, "Ice") and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") both experience impulse control deficits, but display different social-affective and addictive profiles. We thus aimed to compare the effects of chronic use of the substituted amphetamines METH and MDMA on conflict control processes in different social-affective contexts (i.e., anger and happiness) and investigate their underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. For this purpose, chronic but recently abstinent users of METH (n = 38) and MDMA (n = 42), as well as amphetamine-naïve healthy controls (n = 83) performed an emotional face-word Stroop paradigm, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Instead of substance-specific differences, both MDMA and METH users showed smaller behavioral effects of cognitive-emotional conflict processing (independently of emotional valence) and selective deficits in emotional processing of anger content. Both effects were underpinned by stronger P3 ERP modulations suggesting that users of substituted amphetamines employ altered stimulus-response mapping and decision-making. Given that these processes are modulated by noradrenaline and that both MDMA and METH use may be associated with noradrenergic dysfunctions, the noradrenaline system may underlie the observed substance-related similarities. Better understanding the functional relevance of this currently still under-researched neurotransmitter and its functional changes in chronic users of substituted amphetamines is thus an important avenue for future research.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Individuals who took MDMA in a clinical setting | 1986 | Observational study | |
| Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Abstinent MDMA users | 1998 | Observational cohort | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Older, more educated, drug-experienced individuals | 1986 | Observational cohort | |
| Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Young people who were regular or novice MDMA users, or non-users | 1998 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- MDMA enhances emotional empathy and prosocial behavior Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience October 4, 2013
- Psilocybin-Induced Deficits in Automatic and Controlled Inhibition are Attenuated by Ketanserin in Healthy Human Volunteers Neuropsychopharmacology September 28, 2011
- Novel psychoactive substances (designer drugs): overview and pharmacology of modulators of monoamine signalling Swiss Medical Weekly January 11, 2015
- The Norepinephrine Transporter Inhibitor Reboxetine Reduces Stimulant Effects of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) in Humans Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics June 15, 2011
- Neurotoxicity of drugs of abuse - the case of methylenedioxy amphetamines (MDMA, ecstasy ), and amphetamines Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience September 30, 2009
and 10 more in the library