Evaluating the Contribution of Serotonin Receptor Subtypes and ‘Binge’ 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Exposure to the Discriminative Stimulus Effects of MDMA in Rats
Vanessa Gwendoline Smithies
The Open Addiction Journal March 29, 2011 DOI: 10.2174/1874941001104010055 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Proposes that a three-way drug discrimination paradigm can be used to study MDMA's serotonergic effects by training rats to distinguish dopaminergic stimulant effects from serotonergic effects. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’) shares psychoactive effects with drugs that possess stimulant (e.g. amphetamine, the effects of which are primarily dopaminergic) and hallucinogenic properties (e.g. LSD, which has serotonergic effects) [1]. The majority of MDMA’s distinctive effects as well as its toxicity have been linked to its actions on serotonergic neurotransmission [2]. One way in which MDMA’s serotonergic effects can be studied is to train rats to distinguish dopaminergic stimulant effects from mood and perception-altering serotonergic effects using a three-way drug discrimination paradigm [3].
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens | 1986 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Background and Chemistry of MDMA | 1986 | Historical analysis | |
| The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents* Original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, years 1900–1960 | 2006 | Historical analysis | |
| Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders? A neurobiological rationale | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) neurotoxicity in rats: a reappraisal of past and present findings Psychopharmacology March 15, 2006
- A three-choice discrimination procedure dissociates the discriminative stimulus effects of d-amphetamine and (±)-MDMA in rats. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2000
- In vivo pharmacology of MDMA and its enantiomers in rhesus monkeys. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology February 1, 2008
- Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Ecstasy-Induced Neurotoxicity: An Overview Molecular Neurobiology June 1, 2009
- Further studies on N-methyl-1(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane as a discriminative stimulus: antagonism by 5-hydroxytryptamine3 antagonists. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 1992