edoc (University of Basel)
January 1, 2017
Patrick C. Dolder
1 citation
A doctoral thesis combined two research strands: developing LC-MS/MS methods to measure LSD and its metabolites in plasma, serum, and urine, and conducting clinical phase I trials to investigate the acute psychological and physiological effects of LSD in healthy humans. The analytical work established the pharmacokinetics of LSD and collected data from emergency toxicological cases. One LSD study included fMRI to examine neural correlates of altered states of consciousness and emotion processing under LSD.
edoc (University of Basel)
January 1, 2016
Anna Rickli
1 citation
Dopamine release does not appear to contribute to the mood-elevating effects of MDMA (ecstasy) in healthy people. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 16 participants, blocking dopamine release with bupropion did not reduce MDMA's subjective effects but instead prolonged them, while reducing MDMA-induced increases in norepinephrine and heart rate. This suggests norepinephrine, not dopamine, mediates MDMA's cardiostimulant effects, with serotonin and norepinephrine likely driving its psychotropic effects. The work also characterized the pharmacological profiles of many novel psychoactive substances, finding that para-halogenated amphetamines are more serotonergic than their non-halogenated counterparts, pyrovalerone cathinones are potent dopamine transporter inhibitors with high abuse potential, and NBOMe derivatives show high 5-HT2A receptor affinity and selectivity, indicating strong hallucinogenic potential.
edoc (University of Basel)
January 1, 2020
Patrick Vizeli
MDMA (ecstasy) produces its psychological effects by releasing serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine and increasing oxytocin levels. In a pooled analysis of up to 166 subjects from phase I studies, single doses of 75 or 125 mg MDMA caused notable increases in systolic blood pressure above 160 mmHg, heart rate above 100 bpm, and body temperature above 38°C in up to a third of participants. These autonomic effects were stronger with 125 mg. Adverse reactions like headache, bruxism, and appetite loss were dose-dependent and more frequent in women, suggesting a lower therapeutic dose for women.