Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
July 12, 2002
A. C. Parrott, Tom Buchanan, Andrew Scholey et al.
163 citations
Depression, memory problems, anxiety, mood fluctuation, poor concentration, infections, tremors/twitches, and weight loss are all more common among people who have used Ecstasy more often. In a survey of 282 Ecstasy users, memory problems attributed to the drug were reported by 19% of novice users (1–9 occasions), 52% of moderate users (10–99 occasions), and 73% of heavy users (100+ occasions). The incidence of psychobiological problems attributed to Ecstasy use increases directly with the number of times it has been used.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 30, 2006
Jonathon L. Reay, Colin Hamilton, David O. Kennedy et al.
91 citations
People who use MDMA (ecstasy) show impairments in specific cognitive processes—set shifting, memory updating, and social and emotional judgment—compared to polydrug users who do not take MDMA. These deficits remained significant even after accounting for use of other drugs. The findings suggest that recreational ecstasy use may harm prefrontal cortex functions.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
May 9, 2001
Thomas Heffernan, Jonathan Ling, Andrew Scholey
57 citations
Regular ecstasy users report more everyday memory lapses, specifically in remembering to do things in the future (prospective memory), compared to non-users. Thirty regular ecstasy users (taking the drug 10 or more times per month) and 31 ecstasy-free controls completed the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, which measures self-rated errors in short-term habitual, long-term episodic, and internally cued prospective memory. Ecstasy users reported significantly more errors across all three aspects, even after accounting for other drug use. No differences were found in the use of memory aids. These findings suggest prospective memory dysfunction may relate to serotonergic and frontal lobe deficits in chronic MDMA users.
Neuropsychobiology
October 20, 2010
Andrew Scholey, Lauren Owen, J. R. Gates et al.
46 citations
Among 49 undergraduate volunteers, self-reported Ecstasy use closely matched MDMA traces found in hair samples. Both self-report and hair analysis predicted lower happiness and higher stress ratings. Self-reported use, but not hair analysis, was also linked to lower tension. The findings suggest the Internet can effectively complement traditional laboratory studies on recreational drug effects.
Behavioural Pharmacology
July 11, 2014
A. C. Parrott, Catharine Montgomery, Mark Wetherell et al.
34 citations
Recreational use of MDMA (ecstasy) increases cortisol levels, a marker of stress, both immediately and over longer periods. In laboratory settings, acute use raises cortisol by 100-200%, while dance clubbers combining the drug with dancing experience an 800% increase. Abstinent users' three-month hair samples show cortisol levels 400% higher than controls. Chronic users exhibit heightened cortisol in stressful settings, deficits in complex cognitive tasks, and altered brain activation patterns suggesting increased mental effort. Mood deficits include more daily stress and higher depression in susceptible individuals. Changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may explain these neuropsychobiological stress effects.
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
March 1, 2012
Mark Wetherell, Katie Atherton, Jessica Grainger et al.
25 citations
Recreational use of cannabis and MDMA, beyond the period of intoxication, can negatively influence psychological responses to a multitasking stressor. In three studies, cannabis users became less alert and content after acute stress, while MDMA users became less calm. Unexpectedly, the stressor increased calmness ratings in cannabis users. Both cannabis and MDMA users reported needing more resources to complete the multitasking framework compared to controls. These findings suggest that such drug use may impair real-life situations that place high demands on cognitive resources.