3,4-Methylenedioxy analogues of amphetamine: Defining the risks to humans

Understanding recreational ecstasy use in the United States: A qualitative inquiry

“…Contributing to users' perception of ecstasy's risk was their mistrust of a great deal of mass media's messages about ecstasy's adverse effects, a trend that is confirmed in available literature (McElrath & McEvoy, 2002;Eiserman et al, 2005). Participants believed ecstasy unlikely to cause such long term effects as brain damage or death, despite research linking ecstasy to hyperthermia, dehydration, depression, and impaired cognitive functioning (Hegadoren, Baker, & Bourin, 1999;Parrott, Sisk, & Turner, 2000;Parrott, 2002). Of information that was widely circulated, study participants categorised these accounts as rumors, thereby disparaging their credibility and accuracy.…”

Acute Psychological Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”) are Attenuated by the Serotonin Uptake Inhibitor Citalopram

“…This finding might be explained by a metabolic interaction, since citalopram and MDMA are both substrates of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes in the liver (Hegadoren et al 1999). Citalopram is an inhibitor of CYP2D6 (Baumann 1996), which is involved in the metabolism of MDMA (Tucker et al 1994).…”

Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: The transient hypofrontality hypothesis

“…For instance, fMRI studies of marijuana users show excessive activity in the medial forebrain bundle and other mesolimbic circuits, while showing a decrease in neural activity in the DL (Loeber & Yurgelun-Todd, 1999;Pistis, Porcu, Melis, Diana, & Gessa, 2001). Cocaine and ecstasy show similar neural profiles (Bolla, Cadet, & London, 1998;Hegadoren, Baker, & Bourin, 1999;Kalant, 2001). Whatever information is ÔonlineÕ at the time is used by the residual capacity of the prefrontal cortex to enable an ontological reality.…”