This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (24) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Parrott, A. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Parrott, A. C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

MDMA in humans: factors which affect the neuropsychobiological profiles of recreational ecstasy users, the integrative role of bioenergetic stress

Department of Psychology, University of Swansea, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

Many recreational ecstasy/MDMA users display neuropsychobiological de.cits, whereas others remain problem free. This review will investigate some of the drug and non-drug factors which in.uence the occurrence of these de.cits. Acute and chronic MDMA usage are both important. Intensive use within a session is often associated with more problems. In term of lifetime usage, novice users generally remain unimpaired, whereas most heavy users report memory or other psychobiological problems which they attribute to ecstasy. These complaints are con.rmed by objective de.cits in working memory, attention, frontal-executive, and episodic memory tasks. Psychobiological de.cits include disturbed sleep, sexual dysfunction, reduced immuno-competence, and increased oxidative stress. Further MDMA-related factors which may contribute to these changes, include acute and chronic tolerance, and drug dependence. Around 90ñ95% of ecstasy/MDMA users also take cannabis, and this can independently contribute to the adverse neuropsychobiological pro.les; although in some situations the acute co-use of these two drugs may be interactive rather than additive, since cannabis has relaxant and hypothermic properties. Alcohol, nicotine, amphetamine, and other drugs, can also affect the psychobiological pro.les of ecstasy polydrug users in complex ways. Pure MDMA users are rare but they have been shown to display signi.cant neurocognitive de.cits. Psychiatric aspects are debated in the context of the diathesisstress model. Here the stressor of ecstasy polydrug drug use, interacts with various predisposition factors (genetic, neurochemical, personality), to determine the psychiatric outcome. Recreational MDMA is typically taken in hot and crowded dances/raves. Prolonged dancing, feeling hot, and raised body temperature, can also be associated with more psychobiological problems. This is consistent with the animal literature, where high ambient temperature and other metabolic stimulants boost the acute effects of MDMA, and cause greater serotonergic neurotoxicity. In conclusion, the neuropsychobiological effects of MDMA are modulated by a wide range of drug and non-drug factors. These multiple in.uences are integrated within a bioenergetic stress model, where factors which heighten acute metabolic distress lead to more neuropsychobiological problems.

Key Words: MDMA • ecstasy • cannabis • memory • cognition • mood • bioenergy • stress • temperature

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 2, 147-163 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881106063268


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K Soar, A Parrott, and J Turner Attributions for psychobiological changes in ecstasy/MDMA and other polydrug users J Psychopharmacol, September 1, 2009; 23(7): 745 - 758. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Carhart-Harris, D. Nutt, M Munafo, and S. Wilson Current and former ecstasy users report different sleep to matched controls: a web-based questionnaire study J Psychopharmacol, May 1, 2009; 23(3): 249 - 257. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. Kuypers, M. Wingen, and J. Ramaekers Memory and mood during the night and in the morning after repeated evening doses of MDMA J Psychopharmacol, November 1, 2008; 22(8): 895 - 903. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. C. Parrott, I. S. McGregor, T. M. C. Lee, A. B. Scholey, and M. J. Morgan International conference on memory (ICOM-4), University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 16 21 July 2006 Ecstasy/MDMA and Memory Symposium J Psychopharmacol, November 1, 2007; 21(8): 895 - 897. [PDF]

				A. C. Parrott Ecstasy versus alcohol: Tolstoy and the variations of unhappiness J Psychopharmacol, January 1, 2007; 21(1): 3 - 6. [PDF]

				A. C. Parrott Alcohol, ecstasy, Aldous Huxley's 'soma' J Psychopharmacol, January 1, 2007; 21(1): 8 - 9. [PDF]