STUDY AIM: To describe the clinical characteristics of Ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) toxicity. METHODS: Retrospective case-study of 52 self-reported Ecstasy intoxications presenting to our Emergency Department (ED) between January 2001 and December 2003. RESULTS: Most patients ingested Ecstasy together with other substances, including alcohol (51.9%) or other illicit drugs...
Acute 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") treatment induces learning deficits in different animal models. In a passive avoidance learning task in rats, previous studies suggested a role for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the acute learning impairment. As cognitive deficits by "ecstasy" in humans have been only...
Substance abuse and associated externalizing disorders are characterized by behavioural disinhibition and low impulse control, with reduced neural inhibition postulated to be the common underlying brain mechanism. The P3 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is a widely used neurophysiological measure thought to reflect inhibitory brain processes, but as yet has not been assessed in...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') and cannabis are two of the most commonly used illicit drugs in the western world, and are often used in combination. Very little research has examined their effect on cognitive function or behavior when combined, The present study used a double Y-maze task to examine the acute effect of MDMA and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the principal...
The use of marijuana is rampant among 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users. The co-occurrence of abuse of these two drugs has made it difficult to assess the specific residual effects of MDMA alone. As a first step toward identifying the effects of long-term MDMA use, we studied 8 MDMA abusers, 8 marijuana/MDMA abusers, 15 marijuana abusers (matched in marijuana use without MDMA use),...
MDMA causes selective depletion of serotonergic terminals in experimental animals and the consequent decrease in synaptic 5-HT may, inter alia, increase impulsivity. To study the effects of MDMA upon brain function, the behaviour of male Dark Agouti rats exposed to MDMA (15 mg/kg i.p.), two 5-HT1B agonists (CGS-12066A and CP-94,253, both 5 mg/kg i.p.) or saline were investigated in the...
Accidental ingestion of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) was detected in an infant admitted at the Pediatric Emergency Department by drug testing in urine. Concentrations of MDMA and its principal metabolite 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA) in the infant's hydrolyzed urine were 11.7 mg/L and 34.4 mg/L, respectively. Apparent febrile convulsions and cardiovascular side...
3,4‐Methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) produces complex effects on body temperature, including hypo‐ and hyperthermic components that vary with ambient temperature and strain of rat. We have previously reported that MDMA is an α 2 ‐adrenoceptor agonist, and α 2 ‐adrenoceptor agonists such as clonidine produce hypothermia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of MDMA on core...
ABSTRACT Background Ecstasy use has often been found to be associated with psychopathology, yet this research has so far been based largely on subjective symptom ratings. Aims To investigate whether ecstasy users suffered from long‐term psychopathological consequences. Measurements We compared the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV (DSM‐IV) mental disorders in 30 current...
In the present study the effects of a neurotoxic regimen of (+)-MDMA (20 mg/kgx4, s.c.) in 4- and 10-week-old C57Bl/6J mice during treatment and 7 days post-treatment were examined. Rectal temperatures monitored between (+)-MDMA injections (30 min post-injection/2 h intervals) revealed hyperthermic responses in both age groups, with the magnitude of the response significantly greater in older...