Thus , the current state of research does not allow for the conclusion that long-term use of MDMA affects decision-making behavior in general .
Different cognitive impairments have been reported as a result of long-term MDMA/ecstasy use .
Increased impulsivity and altered decision-making have been shown to be associated with the development and maintenance of addictive disorders pointing toward the necessity to underst and a potential impairment of decision-making due to MDMA use .
Thus , assessing the long-term effects of MDMA is crucial in order to evaluate its controversially discussed therapeutic use .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the scientific literature on potential effects of chronic MDMA use on higher order decision-making processes in humans .
The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) differentiates smokers and nonsmokers.
In trying to better underst and why individuals begin and continue to smoke despite the obvious health consequences , research ers have become interested in identifying relevant personality variables , such as risk taking . In this study , the authors compared the ability of 2 behavioral measures of risk taking , the Bechara Gambling Task ( BGT ) and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task ( BART )  , to differentiate smokers and nonsmokers . Self-report measures of impulsivity and sensation seeking were taken for comparison with the 2 behavioral risk-taking tasks . Results indicate that behavior on the  BART  , and not the BGT , was related to smoking status . Further , when considered in a logistic regression analysis , only the Sensation Seeking total score and the BART score contributed uniquely to the differentiation of smokers and nonsmokers
Thus , the current state of research does not allow for the conclusion that long-term use of MDMA affects decision-making behavior in general .
Different cognitive impairments have been reported as a result of long-term MDMA/ecstasy use .
Increased impulsivity and altered decision-making have been shown to be associated with the development and maintenance of addictive disorders pointing toward the necessity to underst and a potential impairment of decision-making due to MDMA use .
Thus , assessing the long-term effects of MDMA is crucial in order to evaluate its controversially discussed therapeutic use .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the scientific literature on potential effects of chronic MDMA use on higher order decision-making processes in humans .