The Anxiogenic-Like and Anxiolytic-Like Effects of MDMA on Mice in the Elevated Plus-Maze A Comparison With Amphetamine

Lin, Hui; Burden, Peter M.; Christie, MacDonald J.; Johnston, Graham A.R.

doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(98)00191-9

Cited by 72 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Adult humans who had never before used ecstasy showed a small, but significant, elevation in self-reported anxiety following MDMA administration in a hospital setting [156]. Young-adult mice exhibited a dose dependent reduction in open-arm entries of the elevated plus maze, a pattern of behavior suggestive of greater anxiety [85]. Rats had more anxiety-like behavior in the plus maze and emergence tests but less in the social-interaction assessment [108].…”

Section: 22mentioning

confidence: 99%

A developmental comparison of the neurobehavioral effects of ecstasy (MDMA)

Piper

2007

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

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The entactogen ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is a popular recreational drug among college, high school, and, occasionally, middle school students. Preclinical research examining the acute and long-term effects of MDMA has predominately been conducted in reproductively mature subjects but there has been increasing interest in adolescent and in utero exposure. This review examines the acute and long-term responses to MDMA during perinatal, adolescent, and adult periods. The ability of MDMA to alter core body temperature emerges gradually during ontogeny while a reduction in body weight is evident at all ages. Learning and workingmemory are also altered independent of the developmental stage of exposure. Current evidence suggests adults are more sensitive to the long-term serotonin depletions following MDMA but younger ages also exhibit substantial and rapid neuroplasticity. Sexually dimorphic MDMA responses have been identified for the acute hyperthermic and motoric effects of MDMA with pubescent males being especially susceptible. Several physiological, behavioral, and neurochemical MDMA issues requiring further study are also outlined. Keywords±3; 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Adolescence; Anxiety; Depression; Learning; SerotoninThe phenylethylamine ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug best known as ecstasy. MDMA has several other street names including Adam, baby slits, chocolate chips, clarity, doctor, essence, kleenex, and roll [77]. Although ecstasy has some similarities with both stimulants and hallucinogens, MDMA is an entactogen. Entactogen means "touching within" based on the drug's subjective effects [110]. MDMA also causes long term changes in several markers of the integrity of the serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter system [58]. There have been several excellent recent reviews on MDMA toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and neurobehavioral consequences [30,37,113,157], but none have systematically addressed the intricate effects of MDMA during development.Ecstasy use is not restricted to limited subpopulations, that is fans of techno music and "raves" [173] or male homosexuals [73,81], as MDMA has expanded into the general population [124,148,170] and especially young people [52,78,170,172]. Over one hundred pregnant women in Toronto called a substance abuse helpline between 1998 and 2000 to inquire Corresponding Author: Brian J. Piper, Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-7710, Tel: (413) 545-0996, bpiper@nsm.umass.edu Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers...

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Section: 22mentioning

confidence: 99%

A developmental comparison of the neurobehavioral effects of ecstasy (MDMA)

Piper

2007

Neurotoxicology and Teratology

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“…Most preclinical studies show anxiogenic-like effects at low doses of amphetamine (0.5-5 mg/kg). [29][30][31][32] Conversely, studies by Dawson et al show anxiolytic-like effects of d-amphetamine (0.75, 1.5 mg/ kg) in rats, 33 while Lister reports no effects of d-amphetamine (1, 2 and 4 mg/kg) on anxiety-like behavior in mice. 34 The longterm neurotoxic consequences of dl-amphetamine (20 mg/kg/day, 5 days) induces the decrease of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining, and significantly reduces anxiety-like behaviors in both the light/dark box and open field tests in rats.…”

Section: Effect Of Quetiapine On a Neurotoxic Regimen Of Amphetamine-mentioning

confidence: 95%

Neuroprotective effect of atypical antipsychotics in cognitive and non-cognitive behavioral impairment in animal models

Kong

Tan³

et al. 2009

Cell Adhesion & Migration

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“…These contradictory results have led some investigators to suggest that high doses of MDMA could be anxiolytic and low doses could be anxiogenic (12) in the elevated plus maze. However, in a more detailed study, Morley and McGregor (8), using cat odor and shock-induced ultrasonic vocalization tests in the elevated plus maze, showed that MDMA administration induced an anxiogenic-like effect, while in the social interaction test MDMA induced an anxiolytic-like effect (8), a test that had already been reported to be anxiogenic in animals treated with the drug (10,11).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%