Impulsivity, risk taking and recreational 'ecstasy' (MDMA) use.
G K L Butler, A M J Montgomery
Drug and Alcohol Dependence October 5, 2004 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2004.04.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 254 |
| Population | Undergraduates, including recreational drug users and non-drug controls |
| Measures | drug history questionnaire (DHQ), impulsiveness venturesomeness and empathy questionnaire, Bets16, tri-dimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Impulsiveness, venturesomeness, and novelty seeking increased from non-drug users to high ecstasy users, with ecstasy and polydrug users scoring higher than non-drug users. High ecstasy users also scored higher on the Bets16 risk-taking measure than non-drug users, cannabis users, and low ecstasy users. The authors discuss whether increased impulsivity pre-dated drug use and its possible link to ecstasy's putative serotonergic neurotoxicity. |
Abstract
The present study investigated characteristics of recreational drug users, especially 'ecstasy' (MDMA) users, in 254 undergraduates. All participants completed a drug history questionnaire (DHQ), the impulsiveness venturesomeness and empathy questionnaire, a novel risk-taking task (Bets16), and 59 also completed the tri-dimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ). DHQ responses allocated participants to five groups: non-drug controls, cannabis users, polydrug (no ecstasy) users, low (<20 occasions) ecstasy users and high (>20 occasions) ecstasy users. Eighteen percent of the sample had used ecstasy and of the ecstasy users, only one had not used other substances. A larger proportion of high ecstasy users had also used amphetamines, cocaine and LSD in comparison to the low ecstasy and non-ecstasy polydrug users. High ecstasy users typically took significantly more ecstasy tablets compared with low ecstasy users. Impulsiveness, venturesomeness and novelty seeking behaviour increased from the non-drug users to high ecstasy users. Ecstasy users (low and high) and polydrug (non-ecstasy) users had higher levels of impulsivity, venturesomeness and novelty seeking behaviour compared with non-drug users. Furthermore, high ecstasy users scored higher on the Bets16 risk-taking measure than non-drug users, cannabis users and low ecstasy users. The findings are discussed in relation to: (i) the possibility that increased impulsivity pre-dated drug use; and (ii) the possible link between impulsivity and the putative serotonergic neurotoxicity of ecstasy.
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 28
- Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology January 26, 2015
- MDMA in humans: factors which affect the neuropsychobiological profiles of recreational ecstasy users, the integrative role of bioenergetic stress Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- Serotonergic psychedelics and personality: A systematic review of contemporary research Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 13, 2018
- Effects of Acute MDMA Intoxication on Mood and Impulsivity: Role of the 5-HT2 and 5-HT1 Receptors PLoS One July 10, 2012
- The varieties of ecstatic experience: an exploration of the subjective experiences of ecstasy. Journal of Psychopharmacology September 1, 2006
and 23 more in the library
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