The sub-acute effects of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) use: a controlled study in humans

Abstract

All previous studies of the sub-acute effects of ecstasy have failed to adequately control for group differences in psychopathology and past and concurrent substance use. The present study was designed to avoid these limitations. At an initial pre-drug baseline, a sample of 38 regular ecstasy users provided full substance histories and completed measures of personality and self-reported psychopathology. We then collected daily subjective measures of mood, cognitive impairment, restless sleep, sexual desire, craving for ecstasy and concomitant use of other substances for the next 9 days. The 20 participants who subsequently opted to take ecstasy during the 9-day assessment period reported modest sub-acute effects of ecstasy on negative mood and subjective cognitive impairment compared to those who did not after controlling for baseline group differences in psychopathology and frequency of ecstasy use. There were no significant sub-acute effects of ecstasy on interest in sexual activity or craving for ecstasy. After further controlling for co-use of alcohol with ecstasy, and the sub-acute effects of ecstasy on sleep, the sub-acute effect on mood remained marginally statistically significant but the subacute effect on cognitive impairment did not. The present findings suggest that the sub-acute effects of ecstasy in regular recreational users are relatively modest and transient but that such genuine effects may have been masked by, perhaps more clinically significant, chronic sequelae of regular ecstasy use in all previous studies of recreational ecstasy users.

Self reported sleep quality and cognitive performance in ecstasy users

“…These findings from animal studies are in line with research on human ecstasy users where "restless sleep" has frequently been cited as an effect of the drug (e.g. Huxster et al 2006;Parrott et al 2000;Parrott et al 2006;Topp et al 1999). …”

“…Previous research in ecstasy users has found that users of the drug report disturbed sleep both as a primary subjective effect (Baylen & Rosenberg, 2006;Huxster et al 2006;Montoya et al 2002) and a longer lasting psychobiological complaint (Parrott et al 2006). The present study found some support for sleep differences in ecstasy users.…”

“…Parrott et al (2006) report that 40% of the 209 ecstasy users in their study attributed poor sleep when "off drug" to their use of ecstasy. Another recent study (Huxster et al 2006) also found that the "restless sleep" factor of the SCL-90-R was elevated in ecstasy users, and users reported sleep disturbances for 48 hours after use.…”

“…Other potential mediators include lifestyle differences between users and nonusers such as exercise intensity, pre-morbid conditions and sleep-related impairments, (Cole et al, 2002;Cole & Sumnall, 2003;Huxster et al 2006). However these have yet to be thoroughly explored.…”

Sleep Impairment in Ecstasy/Polydrug and Cannabis-Only Users

“…As these individuals had been abstinent for at least 28 days and on average for over 500 days it appears that sleep problems were a longer term consequences of taking the drug. Other post intoxication effects include sleeplessness [2] and longer term problems including sleep disturbance and sleep deprivation have been reported by ecstasy users [3,4] . Evidence of sleep disturbance (from the SCL-90) has been found in both heavy [5] and light users of ecstasy [6] and problems appear to persist long after the last occasion of use [7] .…”