Ecstasy Acute Effects on Social Cognition

MDMA (Ecstasy) Chemical Structure

Anecdotal reports suggest that some users of ecstasy (3,4-methlenedioxymethamphetamine-MDMA) experience increased feelings of empathy and are more social while under influence of the drug.  Such effects may contribute to the timing and frequency of ecstasy use and may also contribute to risk of abuse or dependence.  Understanding this phenomenon in more detail might provide clinicians with better strategies to reduce use and the associated complications of ecstasy use.

Studying acute effects of illicit drugs is difficult under natural conditions.  Users of ecstasy commonly also use alcohol, nictoine and other illicit drugs in the context of ecstasy use.  Isolating psychological effects of one agent in this type of environment is difficult if not impossible.  One alternative is to admiinster ecstasy in a laboratory setting with subjects blind to whether ecstasy or placebo is being administered.  However, this approach poses significant ethical challenges.  One approach, is to limit human study in the lab to those who have previously use ecstasy and intend to continue using.  Although imperfect, this approach limits risk of exposing ecstasy naive individuals to an illicit drug that may have reinforcing effects and increase risk of future drug use.

Chemical Structure of Methamphetamine

A study in Biological Psychiatry took this approach when over four sessions, healthy ecstasy using volunteers received either a low or high dose of MDMA, a dose of methamphetamine (METH) or placebo.  MDMA and methamphetamine share chemical (see chemical structures), pharmacological as well as psychological features.  Methamphetamine is typically considered a compound that increases CNS dopamine and norepinephrine while MDMA is felt to also increase CNS serotonin.   Ratings on a series of psychometric measures were obtained over a period of six hours after drug administration.  Visual analog scales (VAS) rated subjective feelings in a variety of domains: stimulated, bored, sedated, anxious, insightful, nauseated, loving, dizzy, sociable, confused, lonely, elated, playful, blank and restless.  Additionally, the rated themselves on the 72-item Profile of Mood States (POMS).  Subjects also completed a facial affect recognition task where they were asked to identify four facial emotions: anger, fear, happiness, sadness.

Here is a summary of the study findings for active agents compared to placebo:
MDMA (high dose) increased subjective VAS ratings of feeling "loving" and "friendly"
MDMA (low dose) increased subjective VAS ratings of "lonely"
MDMA (high dose) and METH increased VAS ratings of "playful"
METH alone increased VAS ratings of "sociability"
MDMA (high dose) reduced the accuracy of recognizing angry faces

So there is some support in this study for the anecdotal reports of increased prosocial cognition with MDMA.  The authors note their findings suggest MDMA increases social approach (sociability) rather thanThe authors note the study supports the possibility that increased social behavior with MDMA might be due to a reduced sensitivity to negative emotions of others rather than increasing recognition of positive emotions in others.  There also might be danger with this effect as social risk taking might increase potential for adverse consequences (connecting with someone you would be unlikely to connect with when not under the influence of MDMA).

Chemical structures of MDMA and methamphetamine from Wikipedia Creative Commons authored by Harbin.

Bedi G, Hyman D, & de Wit H (2010). Is ecstasy an "empathogen"? Effects of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on prosocial feelings and identification of emotional states in others. Biological psychiatry, 68 (12), 1134-40 PMID: 20947066