Ecstasy (MDMA) does not have long-term effects on aggressive interpretative bias: a study comparing current and ex-ecstasy users with polydrug and drug-naive controls.
Rosa Hoshi, Lisa Cohen, Lucy Lemanski, Paola Piccini, Alyson J Bond, Helen Valerie Curran
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 2007 DOI: 10.1037/1064-1297.15.4.351 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 105 |
| Population | 105 male participants: 26 ex-ecstasy users, 25 current ecstasy users, 29 polydrug-using controls, and 25 drug-naive controls |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | No group differences were found in aggressive interpretative bias or self-rated aggression; all four groups processed neutral sentences faster than aggressive ones and recognized neutral sentences faster and more confidently. Current ecstasy users reported significantly higher impulsivity than drug-naive controls. The authors suggest that increased aggression shortly after ecstasy use is a transient phenomenon, not a long-term persisting effect. |
Abstract
+/-3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) remains a widely used recreational drug, which, in animals, can produce long-lasting changes to the brain's serotonergic system. As serotonin has been implicated in human aggression, it is possible that ecstasy users are at risk of increased aggression even after prolonged abstention from the drug. The objective of this study was to indirectly assess aggression in current and abstinent ecstasy users using an information-processing paradigm that measures cognitive bias toward material with aggressive content. The task employed has previously shown increased aggressive bias 3-4 days after ecstasy use. An interpretative bias task was administered to 105 male participants: 26 ex-ecstasy users, 25 current ecstasy users, 29 polydrug using controls, and 25 drug-naive controls. Accuracy and response times to process and recognize ambiguous sentences were tested. There were no group differences in aggressive interpretative bias. All 4 groups processed neutral sentences faster than aggressive sentences and were subsequently faster and more confident in recognizing neutral compared with aggressive sentences. Further, self-ratings of aggression also showed no group differences, even though self-rated impulsivity was significantly higher in current ecstasy users than in drug-naive controls. The findings that all groups were biased toward neutral and away from aggressive interpretations of ambiguous sentences add to the existing body of knowledge in suggesting that increased aggression found in ecstasy users a few days after taking the drug is a transient phenomenon and not a long-term, persisting effect.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Aggressive behaviours associated with MDMA and psychedelics: a narrative review Acta Neuropsychiatrica February 8, 2024
- Conflict monitoring and emotional processing in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine users - A comparative neurophysiological study. NeuroImage: Clinical 2024
- Evidence of increased activation underlying cognitive control in ecstasy and cannabis users. Neuroimage August 15, 2010
- MDMA-induced serotonergic neurotoxicity enhances aggressiveness in low- but not high-aggressive rats. European Journal of Pharmacology September 15, 2009
- Equivalent effects of acute tryptophan depletion on REM sleep in ecstasy users and controls. Psychopharmacology July 8, 2009
and 1 more in the library
Cites 6
- Sub-acute effects of MDMA (±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, "ecstasy") on mood: evidence of gender differences Psychopharmacology April 1, 2002
- An investigation into the sub-acute effects of ecstasy on aggressive interpretative bias and aggressive mood - are there gender differences? Journal of Psychopharmacology March 2006
- Elevated impulsivity and impaired decision-making cognition in heavy users of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) Psychopharmacology January 20, 2006
- Chronic MDMA (ecstasy) use, cognition and mood. Psychopharmacology May 2004
- The pharmacology and clinical pharmacology of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"). Pharmacological Reviews September 2003
and 1 more in the library