Is Ecstasy an “Empathogen”? Effects of ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine on Prosocial Feelings and Identification of Emotional States in Others

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.08.003

Biological Psychiatry

Volume 68, Issue 12, 15 December 2010, Pages 1134-1140

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.08.003 Get rights and content

Background

Users of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), “ecstasy,” report that the drug produces unusual psychological effects, including increased empathy and prosocial feelings. These “empathogenic” effects are cited as reasons for recreational ecstasy use and also form the basis for the proposed use of MDMA in psychotherapy. However, they have yet to be characterized in controlled studies. Here, we investigate effects of MDMA on an important social cognitive capacity, the identification of emotional expression in others, and on socially relevant mood states.

Methods

Over four sessions, healthy ecstasy-using volunteers (n = 21) received MDMA (.75, 1.5 mg/kg), methamphetamine (METH) (20 mg), and placebo under double-blind, randomized conditions. They completed self-report ratings of relevant affective states and undertook tasks in which they identified emotions from images of faces, pictures of eyes, and vocal cues.

Results

MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) significantly increased ratings of feeling “loving” and “friendly”, and MDMA (.75 mg/kg) increased “loneliness”. Both MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) and METH increased “playfulness”; only METH increased “sociability”. MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) robustly decreased accuracy of facial fear recognition relative to placebo.

Conclusions

The drug MDMA increased “empathogenic” feelings but reduced accurate identification of threat-related facial emotional signals in others, findings consistent with increased social approach behavior rather than empathy. This effect of MDMA on social cognition has implications for both recreational and therapeutic use. In recreational users, acute drug effects might alter social risk-taking while intoxicated. Socioemotional processing alterations such as those documented here might underlie possible psychotherapeutic benefits of this drug; further investigation of such mechanisms could inform treatment design to maximize active components of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.

Section snippets

Participants

Healthy volunteers, aged 18–38, who reported using MDMA or ecstasy on at least two occasions were recruited with Internet advertisements and word-of-mouth. Candidates underwent extensive screening and were excluded on the basis of: psychiatric disorder (DSM-IV Axis 1 diagnosis including substance dependence) (23); signs of medical or neurological illness assessed with medical examination, electrocardiogram, and structured clinical interview; body mass index outside healthy range (18.5–30);

Results

Mean age of participants was 24.4 years (SD = 4.9 years), and 9 of the 21 were women. Seventeen participants identified as Caucasian, 2 were Asian, 1 was African-American, and 1 was of mixed race. Participants reported first use of ecstasy at a mean age of 19.8 (SD = 2.7) years and lifetime ecstasy use on a mean of 15.0 (SD = 23.1) occasions; 13 participants had used the drug < 10 times. In the month before participation, 12 reported smoking cigarettes at least weekly, all had consumed alcohol,

Discussion

We found that MDMA (1.5 mg/kg only) altered a behavioral indicator of social cognition. Specifically, it robustly reduced recognition of fearful faces, without changing recognition of other emotions from facial or vocal cues. Although previous studies have confirmed that the drug induces subjective feelings related to sociability and empathy, this is the first published demonstration of an overt behavioral effect of MDMA in humans.

The pattern of findings in our study might be more consistent

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Archival ReportIs Ecstasy an “Empathogen”? Effects of ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine on Prosocial Feelings and Identification of Emotional States in Others

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants

Results

Discussion

Neuroscience

Drug Alcohol Depend

Neuropsychopharmacology

Neuropsychopharmacology

Drug Alcohol Depend

Drug Alcohol Depend

Cognition

Biol Psychiatry

Neuropsychologia

Eur J Pharmacol

Int J Dev Neurosci

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry

Prog Brain Res

Trends Cogn Sci

The psychotherapeutic potential of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine): An evidence-based review

Psychopharmacology

The varieties of ecstasy experience: An exploration of the subjective experiences of ecstasy

J Psychopharmacol

From ultrasocial to antisocial: A role for oxytocin in the acute reinforcing effects and long-term adverse consequences of drug use?

Br J Pharmacol

Ecstasy: The Complete Guide: A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA

How could ecstasy help anxiety disorders?A neurobiological rationale

J Psychopharmacol

The effects of fluoxetine on the subjective and physiological effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans

Psychopharmacology

Opposite effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on sensorimotor gating in rats versus healthy humans

Psychopharmacology

Physiological and subjective responses to controlled oral, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration

J Clin Psychopharmacol

Effects of MDMA on sociability and neural response to social threat and social reward

Psychopharmacology

Archival Report
Is Ecstasy an “Empathogen”? Effects of ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine on Prosocial Feelings and Identification of Emotional States in Others