MDMA enhances positive affective responses to social feedback.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) – March 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
MDMA significantly enhances positive emotional responses to social feedback, with a high dose (1.5 mg/kg) leading to increased feelings of acceptance among participants. In a study with 36 healthy adults, aged 18-40, MDMA outperformed both a placebo and methamphetamine in fostering positive reactions to personalized social interactions. Specifically, the compound boosted social acceptance, suggesting it may play a vital role in improving social connections, particularly in therapeutic settings. Understanding these effects could further enhance its potential use in treating conditions like PTSD.
Abstract
The prosocial compound ± 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an amphetamine derivative that has shown promise as an adjunct to psychotherapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. MDMA increases positive responses to social images, and it has been suggested that the ability of MDMA to positively bias social perception may underlie its therapeutic efficacy as a psychotherapy adjunct. However, the effect of the compound on affective responses to positive or negative social feedback has not been tested. In this study, we aimed to test the effects of MDMA compared to placebo and the prototypical stimulant, methamphetamine (MA), on responses to positive and negative social feedback. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial (NCT03790618), comparing the effects of two doses of MDMA (0.75 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg) to both placebo and MA (20 mg) on responses to a personalized social feedback task, similar to a dating app, in healthy adult volunteers ages 18-40 (N = 36, 18 women, 18 men). The high dose of MDMA increased positive affective responses to social feedback. These findings suggest one process by which MDMA may facilitate social connection. Further work is needed to understand how MDMA affects responses to more generalized types of social feedback and to understand these effects in clinical populations.