Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 30, 2006
Kirstie Soar, John Turner, A. C. Parrott
65 citations
Recreational ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) use has been increasingly associated with a number of psychiatric symptoms and psychological problems. However, previous studies assessing possible psychopathological effects have not identified whether users consider their ecstasy use ‘problematic’ or not. In addition, research has generally failed to address the potential role of...
Addiction
March 24, 2006
Chelsea A. Baylen, Harold Rosenberg
214 citations
ABSTRACT Aim Although several relatively recent reviews have summarized the neuropsychiatric effects associated with chronic ecstasy use, there is no published comprehensive review of studies on the acute subjective effects (ASEs) of MDMA/ecstasy. Design The present study reviewed the prevalence, intensity and duration of ASEs collected from 24 studies that provided frequency data on the...
BMJ
February 24, 2006
Anja C. Huizink, Robert F Ferdinand, Jan Van der Ende et al.
77 citations
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether using ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is preceded by symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, population based study SETTING: The Dutch province of Zuid-Holland. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 1580 individuals, followed up across a 14 year period, from childhood into...
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
June 1, 2004
Sarah Riley, Emma Hayward
52 citations
A survey of drug use in the past year was completed by 124 clubbers (50% male, 50% female, age range 14–44, mean 24 years). Participants were self selecting and recruited in clubs and pre-club bars. Prevalence rates for alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy were over 80%; 63% reported cocaine and 53% amphetamine use, 15%–43% used ketamine, psilocybin, LSD and nitrites. A pattern of polydrug and...
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
July 12, 2002
A. C. Parrott, Tom Buchanan, Andrew Scholey et al.
163 citations
Abstract Rationale The recreational use of MDMA/Ecstasy (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is associated with many psychobiological problems, but there is a paucity of data on how these relate to the level of past use. Objectives: to assess the incidence of Ecstasy‐attributed problems as reported by novice, moderate and heavy users. Methods: 763 unpaid volunteers took part in a WWW study of...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
2002
Alonso Montoya, Renée Sorrentino, Scott E Lukas et al.
102 citations
The recreational drug "ecstasy" (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA) is widely used by young people throughout the world. Experimental studies indicate that MDMA damages serotonergic neurons in animals and possibly in humans. Repeated use may induce long-term neurotoxic effects, with cognitive and behavioral implications. We reviewed both the preclinical and the clinical literature to...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 1, 2001
Nicholas Macinnes, Sheila L. Handley, G. F. A. Harding
120 citations
Previous work has indicated recreational use of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is associated with elevated scores on self-report measures of depression. We sought to examine the long-term effects of consumption on depression in a group of individuals who had consumed large quantities of the drug in the past, but were now leading relatively drug free lives. Respondents to this...
Psychopharmacology
March 5, 2001
Matthias E. Liechti, Alex Gamma, Franz X. Vollenweider
357 citations
Rationale3.4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) mainly releases serotonin (5-HT) and is contained in the recreational drug Ecstasy. 5-HT is known to play an important role in mood and anxiety disorders, for which there is a female preponderance. To date, there are no systematic data on gender differences in the subjective effects of MDMA.ObjectivesThe present work analyzed the pooled data...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2001
Alex Gamma, Alfred Buck, Thomas Berthold et al.
84 citations
The long-term use of the serotonin-releaser and uptake-inhibitor 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") has been associated with memory impairments and increased liability to depressive mood and anxiety attacks. It is unclear, however, whether these psychologic deviations are reflected in alterations of the underlying neurophysiologic substrate. The authors compared mood and...
Neuroreport
2000
Alex Gamma, Edi Frei, Dietrich Lehmann et al.
81 citations
Resting EEG during open and closed eyes and subsequent mood ratings were obtained from 15 Ecstasy users and 14 Ecstasy-naive controls. Absolute spectral power on the scalp, and the three-dimensional, intracerebral distribution of neuroelectric activity using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) were computed. LORETA revealed global increases of theta, alpha 1 and beta 2/3...