Recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ‘ecstasy’: Current perspective and future research prospects

Parrott, Andrew C.; Downey, Luke A.; Roberts, Carl A.; Montgomery, Catharine; Bruno, Raimondo; Fox, Helen

doi:10.1177/0269881117711922

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…Second, participants within the stimulant user groups were typically polydrug users, which is common among the general user population . Parrot et al suggest that polydrug use is a significant problem for research into the effects of recreational drugs. It is therefore difficult to ascribe the findings of psychomotor deficit to any one particular drug .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychomotor Tremor and Proprioceptive Control Problems in Current and Former Stimulant Drug Users: An Accelerometer Study of Heavy Users of Amphetamine, MDMA, and Other Recreational Stimulants

Downey

Tysse

Ford

et al. 2017

The Journal of Clinical Pharma

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The recreational use of various stimulant drugs has been implicated in the development of movement disorders through dysregulation of the dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurotransmitter systems. The present study investigated psychomotor differences in current and former recreational stimulant drug users compared with nonusing controls. Sixty participants comprised 3 groups: 20 current stimulant drug users (CSUs; 11 men, aged 31.4 ± 9.1 years), 20 former stimulant drug users (FSUs; 5 men, aged 39.1 ± 8.5 years), and 20 nonuser controls (NUCs; 5 men, aged 35.7 ± 6.4 years). Psychomotor arm steadiness for each participant was assessed with a wrist-attached accelerometer during 5 arm positions with eyes open and then eyes closed. Arm-drop of arm position was indicated by the arm longitudinal rotation axis (ALoRA), and tremor was indicated by the overall vector of dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA). Overall, CSUs performed the most poorly on ALoRA (P < .05) and VeDBA indices (P < .05), and FSUs perform almost as poorly on VeDBA indices (P < .05) compared with NUCs. It was concluded that stimulant drug use, primarily MDMA and amphetamines, may result in acute stimulant-induced tremor as well as long-term proprioceptive deficits in terms of arm-droop.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychomotor Tremor and Proprioceptive Control Problems in Current and Former Stimulant Drug Users: An Accelerometer Study of Heavy Users of Amphetamine, MDMA, and Other Recreational Stimulants

Downey

Tysse

Ford

et al. 2017

The Journal of Clinical Pharma

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“…In this perspective, we highlight the emergence of two drugs ( Figure 1 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy; Molly) is a stimulant psychoactive drug commonly used in a recreational setting [4,5]. In most countries MDMA is illegal as a consequence of its stimulant, empathogenic and entactogenic properties, popularity as a party drug, and occasional reported fatal overdose.…”

Section: Despite the Perverse Incentives Towards Chronic Disease Withmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging From the Dark Side: New Therapeutic Applications of Scheduled Psychoactive Substances

2019

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“…In an extensive review, Cruickshank and Dyer [ 1 ] noted that methamphetamine led to impairments in executive functioning, learning, memory, and motor skills. Other reviews have generated similar lists of neurocognitive impairments following other stimulants such as cocaine [ 52 , 101 ], or Ecstasy/MDMA [ 27 , 44 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 ]. Cannabis can lead to acute deficits in memory, learning, sustained attention, and higher cognitive skills, while its chronic use can lead to a wide range of cognitive deficits, even including a decline in general intelligence, with reduced IQ test scores [ 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ].…”

Section: Neurocognitive Deficitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mood Fluctuation and Psychobiological Instability: The Same Core Functions Are Disrupted by Novel Psychoactive Substances and Established Recreational Drugs

Parrott

2018

Brain Sciences

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Many novel psychoactive substances (NPS) have entered the recreational drug scene in recent years, yet the problems they cause are similar to those found with established drugs. This article will debate the psychobiological effects of these newer and more traditional substances. It will show how they disrupt the same core psychobiological functions, so damaging well-being in similar ways. Every psychoactive drug causes mood states to fluctuate. Users feel better on-drug, then feel worse off-drug. The strength of these mood fluctuations is closely related to their addiction potential. Cyclical changes can occur with many other core psychobiological functions, such as information processing and psychomotor speed. Hence the list of drug-related impairments can include: homeostatic imbalance, HPA axis disruption, increased stress, altered sleep patterns, neurohormonal changes, modified brain rhythms, neurocognitive impairments, and greater psychiatric vulnerability. Similar patterns of deficit are found with older drugs such as cocaine, nicotine and cannabis, and newer substances such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), mephedrone and spice. All psychoactive drugs damage human well-being through similar basic neuropsychobiological mechanisms.

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Recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ‘ecstasy’: Current perspective and future research prospects

Cited by 17 publications

References 101 publications

Psychomotor Tremor and Proprioceptive Control Problems in Current and Former Stimulant Drug Users: An Accelerometer Study of Heavy Users of Amphetamine, MDMA, and Other Recreational Stimulants

Psychomotor Tremor and Proprioceptive Control Problems in Current and Former Stimulant Drug Users: An Accelerometer Study of Heavy Users of Amphetamine, MDMA, and Other Recreational Stimulants

Emerging From the Dark Side: New Therapeutic Applications of Scheduled Psychoactive Substances

Mood Fluctuation and Psychobiological Instability: The Same Core Functions Are Disrupted by Novel Psychoactive Substances and Established Recreational Drugs

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