Impulsivity, risk taking and recreational ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) use

Butler, Gillian; Montgomery, A. M. J.

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2004.04.003

Cited by 122 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Thus, the present findings are generally in agreement with our earlier published findings (Morgan, 1998;Morgan et al, 2002). They are also consistent with Butler and Montgomery (2004), who reported that heavy ecstasy users scored higher on a risk-taking measure than non-drug users, cannabis users, and low ecstasy users. However, the present results are at variance with those of Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al (2003), who reported that there was no difference in Go/NoGo performance between nonusers, moderate, and heavy ecstasy users despite evidence that the ecstasy users exhibited poorer memory and working memory performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent Ecstasy (MDMA) Users Compared to Polydrug and Drug-Naïve Controls

Morgan

Impallomeni

Pirona

et al. 2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

111

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent Ecstasy (MDMA) Users Compared to Polydrug and Drug-Naïve Controls

Morgan

Impallomeni

Pirona

et al. 2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

111

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“…Studies in MDMA research employing behavioral tests have been relatively sparse but those that were conducted seem to support subjective reports of enhanced impulsivity. Heavy MDMA users produced more commission errors in a go/no-go task and made more risky choices in a gambling task (Butler and Montgomery, 2004) when compared to nondrug users. In addition, current and former MDMA users produced faster responses and more incorrect choices in a matching familiar figures test designed to measure reflection-impulsiveness (Morgan, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Studies that have examined the effect of MDMA on impulsivity in abstinent MDMA users have provided conflicting results. McCann et al (1994) reported a decrement in impulsivity ratings of MDMA users as measured by the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, whereas others reported elevated scores of impulsivity in heavy MDMA users, using different subjective measures of impulsivity (Butler and Montgomery, 2004;Morgan, 1998Morgan, , 2000Parrott, 2000). Elevated levels of impulsiveness have been associated with lower levels of 5HT and CSF-5HIA (Linnoila et al, 1983(Linnoila et al, , 1993 and with dopaminergic activation in the prefrontal cortex leading to a reduction in 'inhibitory control' over behavioral functions (Jentsch and Taylor, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, MDMA users are generally polydrug users of a range of recreational drugs, which makes attribution of impulsivity to either one drug virtually impossible. In addition, it cannot be excluded that impulse and risk-taking behaviors are related to pre-existing low levels of serotonin in MDMA users or that a predisposition to elevated impulsivity underlies the use of MDMA or selfreports and laboratory results from studies in abstinent MDMA users (Butler and Montgomery, 2004;Cole and Sumnall, 2003). Consequently, a better approach for determining a causal relation between MDMA use and change in impulse control may be to conduct placebocontrolled studies on the acute effects of MDMA on laboratory measures of impulse control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acute Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on Behavioral Measures of Impulsivity: Alone and in Combination with Alcohol

Ramaekers

Kuypers

2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

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The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has frequently been associated with increased levels of impulsivity during abstinence. The effects of MDMA on measures of impulsivity, however, have not yet been studied during intoxication. The present study was designed to assess the acute effects of MDMA and alcohol, alone and in combination, on behavioral measures of impulsivity and risktaking behavior. A total of 18 recreational users of MDMA entered a double-blind placebo-controlled six-way crossover study. The treatments consisted of MDMA 0, 75, and 100 mg with and without alcohol. Alcohol dosing was designed to achieve a peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of about 0.06 g/dl during laboratory testing. Laboratory tests of impulsivity were conducted between 1.5 and 2 h post-MDMA and included a stop-signal task, a go/no-go task, and the Iowa gambling task. MDMA decreased stop reaction time in the stop-signal task indicating increased impulse control. Alcohol increased the proportion of commission errors in the stop-signal task and the go/no-go task. Signal detection analyses of alcohol-induced commission errors indicated that this effect may reflect impairment of perceptual or attentive processing rather than an increase of motor impulsivity per se. Performance in the Iowa gambling task was not affected by MDMA and alcohol, but there was a nonsignificant tendency towards improvement following alcohol intake. None of the behavioral measures of impulsivity showed a MDMA Â alcohol interaction effect. The lack of interaction indicated that the CNS stimulant effects of MDMA were never sufficient to overcome alcohol-induced impairment of impulse control or risk-taking behavior.

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“…The few studies that have assessed decision-making behaviours in ecstasy users report conflicting findings (Butler and Montgomery 2004;Fox et al 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuropsychological function in ecstasy users: a study controlling for polydrug use

2005

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Rationale: A number of studies have compared ecstasy users to control groups on various measures of neuropsychological function in order to determine whether ecstasy use results in lasting cognitive deficits. However, few of those studies controlled adequately for non-ecstasy illicit drug use. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate neuropsychological function in chronic ecstasy users while controlling for polydrug use. Methods: Neuropsychological function was assessed in four groups-30 current 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users with a little history of illicit drug use other than ecstasy and cannabis, 30 polydrug controls, 30 drug-naïve controls and 20 ex-MDMA users-using a battery of wellvalidated, computerized neuropsychological tests. The battery focused on memory, executive function, impulsivity and risk-taking. Results: Few differences were apparent between the groups, and on no measure were the current MDMA users impaired significantly relative to the polydrug controls. However, within the current MDMA users, questionnaire-measured impulsivity correlated with performance on a number of tests-a relationship that was not apparent in the controls. Conclusions: These data highlight the complexity in understanding the current ecstasy literature and suggest that some individuals may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive impairment following chronic use. Although no differences were identified between the current MDMA users and the controls, trait impulsiveness was significantly correlated with impairment on a number of neuropsychological outcome measures in the MDMA users, but not in the controls. These data suggest that impulsive individuals may be those most at risk for the development of cognitive impairment following chronic ecstasy use.

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Impulsivity, risk taking and recreational ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) use

Cited by 122 publications

References 37 publications

Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent Ecstasy (MDMA) Users Compared to Polydrug and Drug-Naïve Controls

Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent Ecstasy (MDMA) Users Compared to Polydrug and Drug-Naïve Controls

Acute Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on Behavioral Measures of Impulsivity: Alone and in Combination with Alcohol

Neuropsychological function in ecstasy users: a study controlling for polydrug use

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