Empathic Behavioral Substrates Altered by MDMA and Their Therapeutic Consequences
January 30, 2026 Makaela Weeda, Valeria Gazzola, Christian Keysers et al. preprint
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, shows promise for treating mental disorders, but its therapeutic use remains unapproved partly because its neurobiological effects are not well understood. This review examines MDMA's effects on social behavior in humans and animals, focusing on empathy. The authors summarize current knowledge of the pharmacological and neurobiological mechanisms and brain circuits involved in MDMA's influence on social behavior, noting that scientific data on its social effects are ambiguous.