MDMA alters emotional processing and facilitates p

Authors: Margaret C Wardle Harriet de Wit

Publish Date: 2014/04/12

Volume: 231, Issue: 21, Pages: 4219-4229

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Abstract

±34Methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA “ecstasy” produces “prosocial” effects such as feelings of empathy and closeness thought to be important to its abuse and its value in psychotherapy However it is not fully understood how MDMA alters basic emotional processes to produce these effects or whether it produces corresponding changes in actual social behavior Here we examined how MDMA affects perceptions of and responses to emotional expressions and tested its effects on behavior during a social interaction We also examined whether MDMA’s prosocial effects related to a measure of abuse liabilityOver three sessions 36 healthy volunteers with previous ecstasy use received MDMA 075 15 mg/kg and placebo under doubleblind conditions We measured i mood and cardiovascular effects ii perception of and psychophysiological responses to emotional expressions iii use of positive and negative words in a social interaction and iv perceptions of an interaction partner We then tested whether these effects predicted desire to take the drug againMDMA slowed perception of angry expressions increased psychophysiological responses to happy expressions and increased positive word use and perceptions of partner empathy and regard in a social interaction These effects were not strongly related to desire to take the drug againMDMA alters basic emotional processes by slowing identification of negative emotions and increasing responses to positive emotions in others Further it positively affects behavior and perceptions during actual social interaction These effects may contribute to the efficacy of MDMA in psychotherapy but appear less closely related to its abuse potentialThe authors would like to thank Celina Joos Charles Frye Lindsey Davis Aoibhin Curran and Sarah Ellefson for help with data collection and scoring and the University of Chicago Investigational Pharmacy service for preparing the drug capsules This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse R01 DA002812 to HdW and MCW was supported during the execution of this work by a National Institute on Drug Abuse Training Grant T32 DA007255

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