Altered pain responses in abstinent (±)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") users.
Una D. Mccann, Robert R Edwards, Michael T Smith, Kristen Kelley, Michael Wilson, Francis P. Sgambati, George A. Ricaurte
Psychopharmacology October 2011 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2303-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 85 |
| Population | Abstinent MDMA users and age-matched controls |
| Duration | 5-day inpatient study |
| Measures | standardized measures of pain, sleep polysomnograms, power spectral measures of the sleep EEG |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | MDMA users had lower pressure pain thresholds, increased cold pain ratings, increased pain ratings during diffuse noxious inhibitory control testing, and decreased Stage 2 sleep compared with controls. Sleep differences did not mediate altered pain perception. |
Abstract
(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug that has potential to damage brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons in humans. Brain 5-HT neurons play a role in pain modulation, yet little is known about long-term effects of MDMA on pain function. Notably, MDMA users have been shown to have altered sleep, a phenomenon that can lead to altered pain modulation. This study sought to assess pain processing in MDMA users using objective methods, and explore potential relationships between pain processing and sleep indices. Forty-two abstinent MDMA users and 43 age-matched controls participated in a 5-day inpatient study. Outcome measures included standardized measures of pain, sleep polysomnograms, and power spectral measures of the sleep EEG. When differences in psychophysiological measures of pain were found, the relationship between pain and sleep measures was explored. MDMA users demonstrated lower pressure pain thresholds, increased cold pain ratings, increased pain ratings during testing of diffuse noxious inhibitory control, and decreased Stage 2 sleep. Numerous significant relationships between sleep and pain measures were identified, but differences in sleep between the two groups were not found to mediate altered pain perception in MDMA users. Abstinent MDMA users have altered pain perception and sleep architecture. Although pain and sleep outcomes were related, differences in sleep architecture in MDMA users did not mediate altered pain responses. It remains to be determined whether alterations in pain perception in MDMA users are secondary to neurotoxicity of 5-HT-mediated pain pathways or alterations in other brain processes that modulate pain perception.
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
Cited by 2
- Oxytocin, cortisol and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine: neurohormonal aspects of recreational ‘ecstasy’ Behavioural Pharmacology December 1, 2016
- Of mice and men on MDMA: a translational comparison of the neuropsychobiological effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy'). Brain Research November 14, 2019
Cites 18
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- Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Journal of Neuroscience August 1, 1988
- 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
- Mood and cognitive effects of ± 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’): week‐end ‘high’ followed by mid‐week low Addiction July 1, 1997
- Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users The British Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1999
and 13 more in the library