MDMA decreases the effects of simulated social rejection.
Charles G Frye, Margaret C. Wardle, Greg J Norman, Harriet de Wit
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior February 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.030 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects crossover experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Healthy adult volunteers with previous MDMA experience |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 0.75 or 1.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | Three sessions |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Cyberball Respiratory sinus arrhythmia Social cognition |
| Key findings | MDMA reduced the effect of simulated social rejection on self-reported mood and self-esteem and decreased perceived rejection intensity, measured as the percentage of ball tosses participants reported receiving. MDMA also decreased respiratory sinus arrhythmia relative to placebo, consistent with its sympathomimetic properties. The authors argue these results suggest a cognitive mechanism by which MDMA may produce pro-social effects and function as a psychotherapy adjunct. |
Abstract
3-4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) increases self-reported positive social feelings and decreases the ability to detect social threat in faces, but its effects on experiences of social acceptance and rejection have not been determined. We examined how an acute dose of MDMA affects subjective and autonomic responses to simulated social acceptance and rejection. We predicted that MDMA would decrease subjective responses to rejection. On an exploratory basis, we also examined the effect of MDMA on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic cardiac control often thought to index social engagement and emotional regulation. Over three sessions, healthy adult volunteers with previous MDMA experience (N=36) received capsules containing placebo, 0.75 or 1.5 mg/kg of MDMA under counter-balanced double-blind conditions. During expected peak drug effect, participants played two rounds of a virtual social simulation task called "Cyberball" during which they experienced acceptance in one round and rejection in the other. During the task we also obtained electrocardiograms (ECGs), from which we calculated RSA. After each round, participants answered questionnaires about their mood and self-esteem. As predicted, MDMA decreased the effect of simulated social rejection on self-reported mood and self-esteem and decreased perceived intensity of rejection, measured as the percent of ball tosses participants reported receiving. Consistent with its sympathomimetic properties, MDMA decreased RSA as compared to placebo. Our finding that MDMA decreases perceptions of rejection in simulated social situations extends previous results indicating that MDMA reduces perception of social threat in faces. Together these findings suggest a cognitive mechanism by which MDMA might produce pro-social behavior and feelings and how the drug might function as an adjunct to psychotherapy. These phenomena merit further study in non-simulated social environments.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Effects of serotonin 2A/1A receptor stimulation on social exclusion processing Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 18, 2016
- Breakthrough for Trauma Treatment: Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared to Paroxetine and Sertraline Frontiers in Psychiatry September 12, 2019
- The Prosocial Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Controlled Studies in Humans and Laboratory Animals Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 25, 2015
- Therapeutic effect of increased openness: Investigating mechanism of action in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Journal of Psychopharmacology August 1, 2017
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Cites 9
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- Pharmacology of MDMA in Humans Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences September 1, 2000
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