Abstract We previously showed that developmental 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) treatment induces long-term spatial and egocentric learning and memory deficits and serotonin (5-HT) reductions. During brain development, 5-HT is a neurotrophic factor influencing neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, migration, and target field organization. MDMA (10 mg/kg × 4/d at 2 h intervals) given on...
The amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a widely used recreational drug, which produces strong psychological effects such as increased empathy and sociability. MDMA inhibits the uptake of and releases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine via an interaction with the respective monoamine transporter. While the role of serotonin in the human pharmacology...
At present, there are scarce clinical and basic lab data concerning the risk of acute serotonin toxicity from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) co-administration. The health care community can strongly benefit from efforts to address the high risks associated with serotonin syndrome from this specific drug combination. The aim...
The amphetamine derivative 3, 4 Methylenedioxymethanphetamine (MDMA) is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that displays numerous pharmacological effects, including neurotoxicity. MDMA, or ecstasy, acts by inducing the release of different neurotransmitters depending on the animal species and, in particular, it produces the release of serotonin and dopamine. MDMA induces rewarding and...
Ecstasy (MDMA) has attracted widespread attention with its association as a "recreational substance" that is concentrated in club and rave settings. This paper outlines a phenomenologically grounded ethnographic study of the experiences of ecstasy users in the Sydney, Australia, area. I espouse phenomenology as a framework for describing and understanding these experiences. A number of excerpts...
We report follow-up data evaluating the long-term outcomes for the first completed trial of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Mithoefer et al., 2011). All of the 19 subjects who received MDMA-assisted treatment in the original trial participated in the long-term follow-up (LTFU), with 16 out of...
Background. Ecstasy, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), is a synthetic compound increasingly popular as a recreational drug. Tablets known as ecstasy contain MDMA, but may also contain caffeine, ephedrine, paramethoxyamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), amphetamine, methamphetamine, and ketamine. After absorption MDMA is metabolized to MDA, 4-hydroxy-3- metoxymetamphetamine...
There is abundant evidence showing that repeated use of MDMA (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ecstasy) has been associated with depression, anxiety and deficits in learning and memory, suggesting detrimental effects on hippocampus. Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside that has a neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the role of A2a...
The amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) is a widely abused drug, particularly in adolescent and young adult populations. Although it was shown that MDMA-associated cues reinstate extinguished MDMA seeking in an animal relapse model, there is little information regarding the neural mechanisms underlying this behavior. Because the medial prefrontal cortex...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy) is a popular drug of abuse with well-documented acute effects on serotonergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic transmitter systems, as well as evidence of long-term disruption of serotoninergic systems in the rat brain. Recently, it was demonstrated that MDMA evokes a delayed and sustained increase in glutamate release in the hippocampus. The...