Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 31, 2026
Yong Yue, Yi Cai, Rumi Murayama et al.
To determine whether antibiotic-induced microbiome depletion influences baseline or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced oxytocin signaling in rats. Male Wistar rats received broad-spectrum antibiotics (ABX) or water for 7 days, followed by a single oral administration of MDMA (30 mg/kg). Plasma oxytocin levels were measured by ELISA, and oxytocin-immunoreactivity in the...
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
May 28, 2026
Gia Han Le, Sabrina Wong, Danica E. Johnson et al.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remain leading causes of disability, providing the impetus for receptor-level treatment strategies beyond monoamine reuptake. The serotonin 5-HT2B receptor (5-HT2BR) is uniquely positioned at the interface of central-antidepressant mechanisms and peripheral cardiac risks. Herein, we reviewed preclinical, translational and...
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 28, 2026
L Belinger, Nathalie M. Rieser, Etna Engeli et al.
Maintaining effective blinding is a major methodological challenge in psychedelic research. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of blinding integrity in 120 healthy volunteers who received either psilocybin, MDMA, or methylphenidate (active placebo) in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Using a multi-level assessment incorporating forced-choice substance guesses, certainty...
Translational Psychiatry
May 21, 2026
Francesco Bavato, Andrea E. Steuer, Anna M. Jacobsen et al.
Methamphetamine (METH, "Crystal Meth") and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") are two types of substituted amphetamines that share structural-chemical similarities but exhibit contrasting acute and chronic effects including addictive liability. Tryptophan (TRY) pathways are involved in pleiotropic physiological functions at the interface of brain-body connections. Preclinical...
Brain
May 15, 2026
Boris B. Quednow, Rebecca C Coray
Boris B Quednow, Rebecca C Coray; Reply: The consequences of MDMA use are not easily disentangled from other drug use or lifestyle factors, Brain, , awag17
Psychoactives
May 12, 2026
Sean M. Viña
While prior research links psychedelic use to improved psychological outcomes, less is known about whether psychedelic exposure relates to engagement with formal mental health care when treatment is recognized as needed. Using publicly available, de-identified pooled data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008–2019), this study examines whether lifetime psychedelic use is...
BMJ Open
May 11, 2026
Julia Colcott, Alexandre A. Guerin, Olivia Carter et al.
Despite growing interest in the therapeutic potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), no targeted measure to systematically assess side effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AP) exists. Our aim was to develop an MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Side Effects Tool (M-SET) to capture side effects over the course of MDMA-AP. Informed by a systematic review and a review of other...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
May 6, 2026
Maxemiliano V. Vargas, Cassandra J. Hatzipantelis, Lee E. Dunlap et al.
Recent clinical evidence suggests that racemic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) might be useful for treating a range of neuropsychiatric diseases including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, concerns about its abuse potential stemming from its monoamine releasing properties have hampered its clinical development. Thus, safer analogues of racemic MDMA with...
Neurochemical Research
May 6, 2026
Oyedayo Phillips Akano, Goodness Olatinwo, Moses Agbomhere Hamed et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), widely misused for its euphoric and stimulant properties, induces overt neurotoxicity in rodents and non-human primates and is associated with profound neurochemical and structural brain alterations. Its deleterious effects are primarily mediated through oxidative stress, neuroinflammatory responses, and apoptotic pathways. Glutathione, a crucial...
medRxiv Preprint Server
May 5, 2026
Nicholas C. Borgogna, D. Drew Whittington, Tyler Owen et al.
preprint
Mental illness poses a substantial global burden, yet existing psychotherapies and psychopharmacologies often produce limited outcomes. Psychedelic-assisted therapies have re-emerged as potential transdiagnostic interventions. In particular, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine–assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has generated interest for its rapid psychological effects and potential to enhance...
May 4, 2026
Victoria Burmester, Laura Aggett, David Nutt et al.
preprint
Background3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is associated with distinctive prosocial and empathogenic effects, yet the consistency and scope of its impact on social functioning in humans remain unclear. Although numerous placebo-controlled studies have examined MDMA’s acute social effects, findings vary widely across subjective and behavioural domains.MethodsWe conducted a systematic...
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
May 4, 2026
Kevin H. Yang, Nora Satybaldiyeva, Wayne Kepner et al.
1 citation
IntroductionMicrodosing involves consuming low doses of psychoactive substances, typically between 1/5th and 1/20th of a recreational dose. Despite increasing public attention to cannabis and psychedelics amid evolving drug policies, epidemiologic data on microdosing remain limited.MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based survey (Characterizing the Epidemiology of Cannabidiol Use Survey) of 1,523...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Pierre-Henri Woitrin, Pascale Lievens
While the clinical archetype of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) toxicity is traditionally associated with young individuals in nightlife environments, particularly in nightclubs and rave settings, its emerging role in therapeutic research may contribute to increasing unsupervised use. As MDMA gains mainstream attention for its potential mental health benefits, particularly for...