Acquisition of MDMA self‐administration: pharmacokinetic factors and MDMA‐induced serotonin release
Addiction Biology June 14, 2013 Sarah Bradbury, Judith Bird, Joyce Colussi‐mas et al. 59 citations
About half of rats fail to acquire MDMA self-administration, and the difference is not due to how the drug is metabolized. MDMA triggers greater release of serotonin than dopamine in the brain. Rats that did acquire self-administration showed lower serotonin overflow than those that did not. Destroying serotonin neurons with a toxin made more rats acquire MDMA self-administration and speeded acquisition of cocaine self-administration. These findings suggest that serotonin limits initial sensitivity to MDMA's rewarding effects and delays reliable self-administration.