Journal
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
Volume 30, Issue 4, Pages 378-387Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0269881115626348
Keywords
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine; ecstasy; entactogen; anxiety; authenticity; emotion; interpersonal; social
Funding
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) [DA017716, DA016776]
- NIH/National Center for Research Resources [UCSF-CTSI UL1 RR024131]
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The drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy, molly) is a widely used illicit drug and experimental adjunct to psychotherapy. MDMA has unusual, poorly understood socioemotional effects, including feelings of interpersonal closeness and sociability. To better understand these effects, we conducted a small (n=12) within-subjects double-blind placebo controlled study of the effects of 1.5 mg/kg oral MDMA on social emotions and autobiographical disclosure in a controlled setting. MDMA displayed both sedative- and stimulant-like effects, including increased self-report anxiety. At the same time, MDMA positively altered evaluation of the self (i.e. increasing feelings of authenticity) while decreasing concerns about negative evaluation by others (i.e. decreasing social anxiety). Consistent with these feelings, MDMA increased how comfortable participants felt describing emotional memories. Overall, MDMA produced a prosocial syndrome that seemed to facilitate emotional disclosure and that appears consistent with the suggestion that it represents a novel pharmacological class.
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