Relation of sex and estrous phase to deficits in prepulse inhibition of the startle response induced by ecstasy (MDMA)
Behavioural Pharmacology March 1, 2005 V. Buben Kov, Martin Votava, J. Hora Ek et al. 38 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) dose-dependently reduces prepulse inhibition (PPI), a measure of sensorimotor gating, in both male and female Wistar rats. Male rats show a greater increase in the acoustic startle response (ASR) than females after MDMA. Among females, sensitivity to MDMA’s PPI-disrupting effect varies across the estrous cycle: rats in diestrous and metestrous phases exhibit larger PPI deficits, while those in proestrous and estrous phases are less affected.