Memory and mood during the night and in the morning after repeated evening doses of MDMA

Memory performance worsens progressively overnight due to sleep loss, and taking MDMA (ecstasy) in the evening adds to that impairment. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 14 healthy adults, MDMA (75 mg and 50 mg split over the evening) caused additional deficits in verbal and spatial memory beyond those from sleep deprivation alone. During the night, MDMA improved response speed and increased feelings of vigor, friendliness, elation, anxiety, confusion, arousal, and positive mood, but these effects returned to placebo-like levels by morning. Evening MDMA selectively impairs memory, and this harm is separate from and adds to the memory impairment caused by sleep deprivation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Previously it has been shown that MDMA causes memory impairment during daytime testing. However, MDMA is usually taken in the evening or during the night. In addition, it is known that sleep deprivation also causes memory impairment. The present study aimed to assess whether evening doses of MDMA added to, or interacted with the memory impairment due to sleep deprivation. Fourteen healthy subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way cross-over study. Treatments consisted of MDMA 75 and 50 mg divided over the evening or double placebo. Memory tests and subjective measures of mood were conducted at baseline and three times post dosing that is at 6.30 pm, 9.30 pm, 1.30 am and 7 am, respectively —1.5, 1.5, 5.5 and 11 h relative to drug intake (first dose). Memory performance detoriated progessively over time as a function of sleep loss, independent of treatment. MDMA added to this impairment as indicated by a significant main effect of MDMA on verbal and spatial memory performance. Mood ratings and response speed revealed an MDMA by Time interaction. After administration of MDMA response speed improved and feelings of vigor, friendliness, elation, anxiety, confusion, arousal and positive mood increased in magnitude during the night, while all these parameters returned to placebo-like levels on the final morning session. It is concluded that evening doses of MDMA selectively impair memory performance, and that this impairment is additional to the effect of sleep deprivation on memory performance.