Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users

Bolla, Karen I.; McCann, Una D.; Ricaurte, George A.

doi:10.1212/wnl.51.6.1532

Cited by 331 publications

(288 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…It indicates that MDMA's effect on spatial memory is not due to its action within the dopaminergic system. Though MDMA exerts its effects in the brain through a multitude of transmitter systems, it is generally assumed that MDMA induced memory deficits that are related to changes in serotonergic function (Bolla et al 1998;McCann et al 1994;Reneman et al 2002;Verkes et al 2001). The present data seem to support this general notion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute dose of MDMA (75 mg) impairs spatial memory for location but leaves contextual processing of visuospatial information unaffected

Kuypers

Ramaekers

2006

Psychopharmacology

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Rationale: Research concerning spatial memory in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users has presented conflicting results showing either the presence or absence of spatial memory deficits. Two factors may have confounded results in abstinent users: memory task characteristics and polydrug use. Objectives: The present study aims to assess whether a single dose of MDMA affects spatial memory performance during intoxication and withdrawal phase and whether spatial memory performance after MDMA is task dependent. Materials and methods: Eighteen recreational MDMA users participated in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover design. They were treated with placebo, MDMA 75 mg, and methylphenidate 20 mg. Memory tests were conducted between 1.5 and 2 h (intoxication phase) and between 25.5 and 26 h (withdrawal phase) post-dosing. Two spatial memory tasks of varying complexity were used that required either storage of stimulus location alone (spatial memory task) or memory for location as well as processing of content or contextual information (change blindness task). Results: After a single dose of MDMA, the subjects made larger localization errors and responded faster compared to placebo in the simple spatial memory task during intoxication phase. Inaccuracy was not due to increased response speed, as determined by regression analysis. Performance in the change blindness task was not affected by MDMA. Methylphenidate did not affect performance on any of the tasks. Conclusion: It is concluded that a single dose of MDMA impairs spatial memory for location but leaves processing of contextual information intact.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute dose of MDMA (75 mg) impairs spatial memory for location but leaves contextual processing of visuospatial information unaffected

Kuypers

Ramaekers

2006

Psychopharmacology

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“…Improved impulse control during serotonergic suppletion seems in line with reports on impaired impulse control in heavy users of MDMA during periods of abstinence. Studies on serotonergic function in recreational MDMA users have repeatedly shown low levels of 5HIAA in CSF (Bolla et al, 1998;McCann et al, 1994;Peroutka et al, 1987;Ricaurte et al, 1990), reduced density of 5-HT transporters (Reneman et al, 2002) and blunted neuro-endocrine responses in serotonergic challenge tests (Gerra et al, 1998;McCann et al, 1999;Verkes et al, 2001) when compared to nondrug using controls. In addition, serotonergic depletion has been linked to behaviors characterized by impaired impulse control (Linnoila et al, 1983(Linnoila et al, , 1993.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on Behavioral Measures of Impulsivity: Alone and in Combination with Alcohol

Ramaekers

Kuypers

2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

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The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has frequently been associated with increased levels of impulsivity during abstinence. The effects of MDMA on measures of impulsivity, however, have not yet been studied during intoxication. The present study was designed to assess the acute effects of MDMA and alcohol, alone and in combination, on behavioral measures of impulsivity and risktaking behavior. A total of 18 recreational users of MDMA entered a double-blind placebo-controlled six-way crossover study. The treatments consisted of MDMA 0, 75, and 100 mg with and without alcohol. Alcohol dosing was designed to achieve a peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of about 0.06 g/dl during laboratory testing. Laboratory tests of impulsivity were conducted between 1.5 and 2 h post-MDMA and included a stop-signal task, a go/no-go task, and the Iowa gambling task. MDMA decreased stop reaction time in the stop-signal task indicating increased impulse control. Alcohol increased the proportion of commission errors in the stop-signal task and the go/no-go task. Signal detection analyses of alcohol-induced commission errors indicated that this effect may reflect impairment of perceptual or attentive processing rather than an increase of motor impulsivity per se. Performance in the Iowa gambling task was not affected by MDMA and alcohol, but there was a nonsignificant tendency towards improvement following alcohol intake. None of the behavioral measures of impulsivity showed a MDMA Â alcohol interaction effect. The lack of interaction indicated that the CNS stimulant effects of MDMA were never sufficient to overcome alcohol-induced impairment of impulse control or risk-taking behavior.

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“…Introduction 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') is widely used as a recreational drug by young people despite having been shown to be a neurotoxin in the brains of rodents and non-human primates (Green et al 2003) and to produce lasting specific memory deficits in humans (Bolla et al 1998;Verkes et al 2001;Fox et al 2002;Verbaten 2003;Soar et al 2004;Wareing et al 2000;2004a,b;Montgomery et al 2005;Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al 2003. These psychopathological disturbances are probably a consequence of the long-term neurochemical changes induced by the drug (Reneman et al 2000;Cowan et al 2003;Daumann et al 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Binge ethanol administration enhances the MDMA-induced long-term 5-HT neurotoxicity in rat brain

et al. 2006

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Rationale Ecstasy abuse commonly occurs in hot, overcrowded environments in combination with alcohol. Around 90% of ecstasy users take ethanol; over 70% of these users also often drink alcohol at hazardous levels. Objectives We wished to examine whether binge ethanol administration enhanced the long-lasting 5-HT neurotoxicity induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in rats maintained at high ambient temperature and the role of acetaldehyde. Materials and methods Rats were treated with a 4-day ethanol regimen leading to plasma ethanol levels of around 450 mg/dl. On day 5, rats were placed at 30°C and administered MDMA (5 mg/kg). Rectal temperature and hydroxyl radical formation were measured immediately before and up to 6 h after MDMA. 5-HT concentration and 5-HT transporter density were determined 7 days later. A group of rats received cyanamide (50 mg/kg) on days 1 and 3 of the 4-day-ethanol inhalation. Results In ethanol treated rats, MDMA produced a hyperthermic response similar to that observed in controls but enhanced the loss of 5-HT concentration and 5-HT transporter density in the hippocampus. Cyanamide elevated the plasma acetaldehyde concentration fivefold to sevenfold, reduced the MDMA-induced hyperthermia and increased the neuronal damage with neurotoxicity also appearing in the cortex. MDMA increased hydroxyl radical production in the hippocampus, the effect being more marked in rats pre-exposed to ethanol.Conclusions Binge ethanol administration enhances the MDMA-induced long-term 5-HT neurotoxicity by a mechanism not related to changes in acute hyperthermia but probably involving hydroxyl radical formation. The magnitude of this effect is more pronounced after increasing plasma acetaldehyde levels by aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition.

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Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users

Abstract: Abstinent MDMA users have impairment in verbal and visual memory. The extent of memory impairment correlates with the degree of MDMA exposure and the reduction in brain 5-HT, as indexed by CSF 5-HIAA.

Cited by 331 publications

References 14 publications

Acute dose of MDMA (75 mg) impairs spatial memory for location but leaves contextual processing of visuospatial information unaffected

Acute dose of MDMA (75 mg) impairs spatial memory for location but leaves contextual processing of visuospatial information unaffected

Acute Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on Behavioral Measures of Impulsivity: Alone and in Combination with Alcohol

Binge ethanol administration enhances the MDMA-induced long-term 5-HT neurotoxicity in rat brain

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