MDMA and Impulse Control
A study (also found here) done at Maastricht University in the Netherlands examined the effect of MDMA and alcohol, both in combination and by themselves, on "behavioral measures of impulsivity and risk-taking behavior." The study found that "MDMA decreased stop reaction time in the stop-signal task indicating increased impulse control" and also that there appeared to be no interaction effect on any of the measured criteria.
Comments
This study used "light-to-moderate users of MDMA." I wonder if their prior use had impaired impulse control down to a less-than-normal level, and was only then brought back to normal by MDMA use. I wish the study had compared the placebo groups to a group of non-users (either with or without a placebo).
Posted by: Matt Nazareth | April 26, 2006 04:53 PM
I wish the study had compared the placebo groups to a group of non-users (either with or without a placebo).
I'm sure this is not the first time that these test protocols have been used. They must have been used earlier when they were being developed and calibrated. Someone should search the literature for these studies.
On a related note, the study implicates increased serotonin for improved impulse control (due to MDMA activity). That hypothesis is at odds with the following study: Stop signal response inhibition is not modulated by tryptophan depletion or the serotonin transporter polymorphism in healthy volunteers: implications for the 5-HT theory of impulsivity..
Posted by: daksya | April 27, 2006 01:13 PM