Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration on retinal physiology in the rat.
PLoS ONE June 14, 2016 João Martins, Miguel Castelo-Branco, Ana Batista et al. 10 citations
A single dose of MDMA (ecstasy) given to rats temporarily alters retinal function, as measured by electroretinograms. Three hours after administration, both MDMA-treated and high-temperature control rats showed larger and faster retinal responses, suggesting that the acute effects are partly due to MDMA-induced hyperthermia. After 24 hours, MDMA-treated animals still had increased responses in the outer retinal layers (photoreceptors and bipolar cells), even after temperature effects subsided, indicating a direct subacute effect of the drug. These changes returned to normal within seven days. The findings provide direct evidence that MDMA can enhance outer retinal activity, which may help explain visual disturbances reported by human users.