fNIRS suggests increased effort during executive access in ecstasy polydrug users.
C A Roberts, C Montgomery
Psychopharmacology May 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3795-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Ecstasy polydrug users and non-user controls |
| Intervention | Ecstasy |
| Measures | Chicago Word Fluency Test (CWFT), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Ecstasy polydrug users and controls performed equally on the Chicago Word Fluency Test, but users showed significantly greater oxygenated haemoglobin increases in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex, which the authors interpret as compensatory cognitive effort. Frequency of ecstasy use, total lifetime dose, and amount used in the last 30 days predicted these increases after controlling for alcohol and cannabis use. |
Abstract
Ecstasy use is associated with cognitive impairment, believed to result from damage to 5-HT axons. Neuroimaging techniques to investigate executive dysfunction in ecstasy users provide a more sensitive measure of cognitive impairment than behavioural indicators. The present study assessed executive access to semantic memory in ecstasy polydrug users and non-users. Twenty ecstasy polydrug users and 20 non-user controls completed an oral variant of the Chicago Word Fluency Test (CWFT), whilst the haemodynamic response to the task was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). There were no between-group differences in many background measures including measures of sleep and mood state (anxiety, arousal, hedonic tone). No behavioural differences were observed on the CWFT. However, there were significant differences in oxy-Hb level change at several voxels relating to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the CWFT, indicating increased cognitive effort in ecstasy users relative to controls. Regression analyses showed that frequency of ecstasy use, total lifetime dose and amount used in the last 30 days was significant predictors of oxy-Hb increase at several voxels after controlling for alcohol and cannabis use indices. The results suggest that ecstasy users show increased activation in the PFC as a compensatory mechanism, to achieve equivalent performance to non-users. These findings are in agreement with much of the literature in the area which suggests that ecstasy may be a selective serotonin neurotoxin in humans.
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 4
- MDMA and brain activity during neurocognitive performance: An overview of neuroimaging studies with abstinent ‘Ecstasy’ users Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews August 8, 2017
- Recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or 'ecstasy': Current perspective and future research prospects. Journal of Psychopharmacology August 2017
- Updating of working memory in ecstasy polydrug users: Findings from fNIRS. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental May 2017
- Meta-analysis of molecular imaging of serotonin transporters in ecstasy/polydrug users. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews April 2016
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