Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
June 1, 2002
B. Gough, Syed Z. Imam, Bruce E. Blough et al.
47 citations
A bstract : Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) is a methoxylated phenethylamine derivative that has been used illicitly in Australia since 1994. PMA is also becoming popular at rave parties in the United States. PMA raised concern when a series of fatalities resulted after its use in South Australia, where it was marketed as “ecstasy,” which is the colloquial name for MDMA. In the present study, we...
Neuropsychopharmacology
May 1, 2002
C Nichols
165 citations
Hallucinogenic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have profound effects on humans including hallucinations and detachment from reality. These remarkable behavioral effects have many similarities to the debilitating symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The effects of hallucinogens are thought to be mediated by serotonin receptor activation; however, how these...
Addiction Research & Theory
2002
Diana L. Martinez-Price, Kirsten Krebs-Thomson, Mark A. Geyer
16 citations
Since being classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine; "ecstasy") has been the subject of controversy regarding its potential therapeutic usage, increased use by young people in the "Rave" culture, and issues of potential neurotoxicity. This review article summarizes much of the animal and human studies of the general behavioral effects 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...
British Journal of Pharmacology
2002
Annis O. Mechan, B. Moreno Esteban, Esther O’shea et al.
219 citations
The pharmacology of the acute hyperthermia that follows 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) administration to rats has been investigated. MDMA (12.5 mg kg −1 i.p.) produced acute hyperthermia (measured rectally). The tail skin temperature did not increase, suggesting that MDMA may impair heat dissipation. Pretreatment with the 5‐HT 1/2 antagonist methysergide (10 mg kg −1 ), the...
Neuropsychobiology
2002
Euphrosyne Gouzoulis‐mayfrank, B. Thelen, Stefanie Maier et al.
69 citations
Hallucinogenic drug-induced states are considered as models for acute schizophrenic disorders (experimental psychoses). In a double-blind study with healthy volunteers we investigated the influence of the serotonergic hallucinogen psilocybin, the ecstasy-like drug 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), the stimulant d- methamphetamine and placebo on covert orienting of spatial attention (n =...
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
December 31, 2001
Franz X. Vollenweider
127 citations
This review focuses on recent brain imaging and behavioral studies of sensory gating functions, which assess similarities between the effects of classic hallucinogens (eg, psilocybin), dissociative anesthetics (eg, ketamine), and entactogens (eg, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) in humans. Serotonergic hallucinogens and psychotomimetic anesthetics produce overlapping psychotic...
Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy
December 1, 2001
Christian J. Teter, Sally K. Guthrie
114 citations
“Club drugs” have become alarmingly popular. The use of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) and γ‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB), in particular, has increased dramatically from 1997–1999. The pharmacokinetics of MDMA and GHB appear to be nonlinear, making it difficult to estimate a dose‐response relationship. The drug MDMA is an amphetamine analog with sympathomimetic properties, whereas...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
December 1, 2001
Matthias E. Liechti, Franz X. Vollenweider
243 citations
Abstract In preclinical studies, 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’) has been shown to release serotonin (5‐HT), dopamine and norepinephrine. However, the role of these neurotransmitters and their corresponding receptor sites in mediating the subjective effects of MDMA has not yet been studied in humans. Therefore, we investigated the effects of three different neuroreceptor...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
December 1, 2001
A. C. Parrott
349 citations
Abstract MDMA (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or ‘Ecstasy’ was scheduled as an illegal drug in 1986, but since then its recreational use has increased dramatically. This review covers 15 years of research into patterns of use, its acute psychological and physiological effects, and the long‐term consequences of repeated use. MDMA is an indirect monoaminergic agonist, stimulating the release...