Elevated Impulsivity and Impaired Decision-Making in Abstinent Ecstasy (MDMA) Users Compared to Polydrug and Drug-Naïve Controls
- 9 November 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Neuropsychopharmacology
- Vol. 31 (7) , 1562-1573
- https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1300953
Abstract
Ecstasy (MDMA; 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has a well-recognized neurotoxic effect on central serotonergic (5-HT) systems in animals, and there is some evidence of persistent serotonergic dysregulation in human ecstasy users. Serotonin is believed to mediate impulsive behavior and effective decision-making. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate impulsive behavior and decision-making in abstinent regular ecstasy users. Three groups were compared: 'ecstasy users' (recreational ecstasy users who reported modest use of illicit drugs other than cannabis), 'polydrug controls' (ecstasy naïve illicit drug users), and 'drug-naïve controls'. All participants completed personal details and general drug history questionnaires, the National Adult Reading Test, Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFF20), a risky decision-making task (RDMT), and the Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT). The groups did not differ on the CARROT measure of responsiveness to financial incentive; however, the ecstasy group displayed significantly elevated MFF20 impulsivity, and showed reduced discrimination between magnitudes of prospective gains and losses when making risky decisions, compared to the 'polydrug' and 'drug-naïve' control groups. These findings may reflect a vulnerability of 5-HT systems in the orbital prefrontal cortex and interconnected corticolimbic circuitry to the cumulative neurotoxic effects of ecstasy and have clinical significance for regular ecstasy users. The combination of elevated impulsivity and impaired use of reinforcement cues in uncertain decision-making may comprise risk factors for continued drug abuse and everyday functioning.Keywords
This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) in ecstasy (MDMA) users during a visual oddball taskBiological Psychology, 2005
- A Voxel-Based PET Investigation of the Long-Term Effects of “Ecstasy” Consumption on Brain Serotonin TransportersAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2004
- Fractionating Impulsivity: Contrasting Effects of Central 5-HT Depletion on Different Measures of Impulsive BehaviorNeuropsychopharmacology, 2004
- Altered Motivation and Learning Following Opiate Withdrawal: Evidence for Prolonged Dysregulation of Reward ProcessingNeuropsychopharmacology, 2002
- Tryptophan Depletion Alters the Decision-Making of Healthy Volunteers through Altered Processing of Reward CuesNeuropsychopharmacology, 2002
- Neurobehavioural mechanisms of reward and motivationCurrent Opinion in Neurobiology, 1996
- Motivational deficits after brain injury: effects of bromocriptine in 11 patients.Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 1996
- Impulse control disordersInternational Clinical Psychopharmacology, 1993
- Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under RiskEconometrica, 1979
- Development of a more reliable version of the Matching Familiar Figures Test.Developmental Psychology, 1978