Profile of MDMA Self-Administration from a Large Cohort of Rats: MDMA Develops a Profile of Dependence with Extended Testing
Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research January 1, 2012 Susan Schenk, Joyce Colussi‐mas, Jennifer Do et al. 38 citations
About half of a large sample of rats learned to self-administer MDMA, taking an average of 16 daily sessions before meeting the initial criterion. When the dose was reduced, the rats increased their responding in a compensatory manner. Over an additional 14 days of self-administration, daily intake rose from 8.5 to 15.25 mg/kg. These results indicate that MDMA acts as a reliable reinforcer for roughly half of rats, and that acquiring self-administration requires more sessions than is typical for other abused drugs.