PMID- 9718589
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19981125
LR  - 20151119
IS  - 0893-133X (Print)
IS  - 0893-133X (Linking)
VI  - 19
IP  - 4
DP  - 1998 Oct
TI  - Recreational use of "ecstasy" (MDMA) is associated with elevated impulsivity.
PG  - 252-64
AB  - Recent preclinical evidence suggests that repeated exposure to 3, 
      4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA; "ecstasy") produces long-term reductions 
      in serotonin (5-HT) levels. 5-HT has been implicated in the regulation of mood, 
      anxiety, aggression, impulsivity, and cognition. Accordingly, in the first of two 
      separate studies, these variables were investigated in three groups: (1) MDMA 
      group--recreational ecstasy users (who also used other illicit substances); (2) 
      polydrug controls--who had never taken ecstasy, but otherwise had drug histories 
      and personal characteristics similar to the ecstasy users; and (3) nondrug 
      controls--who had never used illicit drugs, but had similar personal 
      characteristics. All participants completed mood (Likert) scales, personality 
      questionnaires (which included the impulsiveness, venturesomeness and empathy 
      questionnaire-IVE), spatial span and "Tower of London" (TOL) tests, and a 
      behavioural measure of impulsivity, the matching familiar figures test (MFF20). 
      There were no group differences in mood, anxiety, anger/hostility, and cognitive 
      performance, but the MDMA group committed significantly more errors in the MFF20. 
      Subsequently, a larger sample of participants were administered mood (the General 
      Health Questionnaire or GHQ) and personality (IVE) questionnaires before the 
      administration of a TOL test, followed by the MFF20, and a second TOL test. 
      Although there were no group differences in TOL performance, ecstasy users were 
      again found to commit more errors in the MFF20 than polydrug users. Furthermore, 
      the GHQ and IVE scores of the ecstasy users in the second study indicated, 
      respectively, that they were more psychologically disturbed and impulsive than 
      nondrug controls. The combined data from the two studies indicated that ecstasy 
      users exhibited elevated impulsivity on both self-report and behavioral measures 
      and that those who had taken the most ecstasy had the most elevated trait 
      impulsiveness scores. These findings are consistent with previous evidence that 
      elevated levels of impulsivity in humans are associated with reduced levels of 
      serotonergic function.
FAU - Morgan, M J
AU  - Morgan MJ
AD  - Department of Psychology, University of Wales, Swansea, S. Wales, UK.
LA  - eng
PT  - Clinical Trial
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Neuropsychopharmacology
JT  - Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of 
      Neuropsychopharmacology
JID - 8904907
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Affect/drug effects
MH  - Cognition/drug effects
MH  - Female
MH  - Hallucinogens/*pharmacology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Impulsive Behavior/*chemically induced/psychology
MH  - Male
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*pharmacology
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/psychology
MH  - Surveys and Questionnaires
EDAT- 1998/08/27 00:00
MHDA- 1998/08/27 00:01
CRDT- 1998/08/27 00:00
PHST- 1998/08/27 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1998/08/27 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1998/08/27 00:00 [entrez]
AID - S0893-133X(98)00012-8 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/S0893-133X(98)00012-8 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Neuropsychopharmacology. 1998 Oct;19(4):252-64. doi: 
      10.1016/S0893-133X(98)00012-8.