Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 1, 2022
Harriet de Wit, Anya K Bershad, Charles Grob
11 citations
The psychological processes by which mind-altering drugs improve mood or behavior remain poorly understood. Controlled laboratory studies using well-defined psychological constructs can help reveal how these drugs produce therapeutic benefits, but substantial methodological differences exist between clinical studies of therapeutic outcomes and laboratory studies of underlying mechanisms. Using MDMA as an example, this review examines differences in expectancies, social and physical context, participant characteristics, pharmacological factors, and outcome measures between studies with and without psychiatric participants. It describes challenges and opportunities in translating laboratory findings to clinical settings and identifies ways to bridge the gap between these research approaches.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 1, 2024
Anya K Bershad, David T Hsu, Harriet de Wit
9 citations
MDMA, a compound being studied for treating PTSD, increases positive feelings in response to social feedback, such as receiving likes or rejections in a dating-app-like task. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 36 healthy adults aged 18-40, a high dose of MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) boosted positive affective responses to both positive and negative social feedback, compared to placebo and methamphetamine. This suggests MDMA may enhance social connection by making social interactions feel more rewarding, which could explain its therapeutic benefits. Further research is needed to test these effects in clinical populations and with different types of social feedback.
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2026
Ana Deutsch, Connor J Haggarty, Gavin N Petrie et al.
1 citation
A single oral dose of methamphetamine (20 mg) reduced blood levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in healthy adults, while MDMA (100 mg) did not. Neither drug affected anandamide (AEA) levels. Under placebo, higher AEA concentrations were linked to disliking the drug effects, suggesting a connection between AEA and negative expectations. These findings show how stimulants act on the endocannabinoid system and may inform treatments for substance use disorders.
The European journal of neuroscience
June 1, 2024
Connor J Haggarty, Anya K Bershad, Mahesh K Kumar et al.
1 citation
MDMA, but not methamphetamine, enhances the brain's early visual processing of happy and angry facial expressions, as measured by the N170 event-related potential in an EEG oddball paradigm. This effect was specific to emotional faces compared to neutral ones. Methamphetamine did not affect this neural measure, and neither drug altered other components of the response to emotional faces. The findings suggest a unique neural mechanism for MDMA's effects on socio-emotional processing, which may underlie its therapeutic potential for social anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.