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 .
Recreational Use of “Ecstasy” (MDMA) Is Associated with Elevated Impulsivity
Recent pre clinical evidence suggests that repeated exposure to 3 , 4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine ( MDMA ; “ ecstasy ” ) produces long-term reductions in serotonin ( 5-HT ) levels . 5-HT has been implicated in the regulation of mood , anxiety , aggression , impulsivity , and cognition . Accordingly , in the first of two separate studies , these variables were investigated in three groups : ( 1 ) MDMA group — recreational ecstasy users ( who also used other illicit substances ) ; ( 2 ) polydrug controls — who had never taken ecstasy , but otherwise had drug histories and personal characteristics similar to the ecstasy users ; and ( 3 ) nondrug controls — who had never used illicit drugs , but had similar personal characteristics . All participants completed mood ( Likert ) scales , personality question naires ( which included the impulsiveness , venturesomeness and empathy question naire – IVE ) , spatial span and “ Tower of London ” ( TOL ) tests , and a behavioural measure of impulsivity , the matching familiar figures test ( MFF20 ) . There were no group differences in mood , anxiety , anger/hostility , and cognitive performance , but the MDMA group committed significantly more errors in the MFF20 . Subsequently , a larger sample of participants were administered mood ( the General Health Question naire or GHQ ) and personality ( IVE ) question naires before the administration of a TOL test , followed by the MFF20 , and a second TOL test . Although there were no group differences in TOL performance , ecstasy users were again found to commit more errors in the MFF20 than polydrug users . Furthermore , the GHQ and IVE scores of the ecstasy users in the second study indicated , respectively , that they were more psychologically disturbed and impulsive than nondrug controls . The combined data from the two studies indicated that ecstasy users exhibited elevated impulsivity on both self-report and behavioral measures and that those who had taken the most ecstasy had the most elevated trait impulsiveness scores . These findings are consistent with previous evidence that elevated levels of impulsivity in humans are associated with reduced levels of serotonergic function
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 .