Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/208146

Title

The acute effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and d-methamphetamine on human cognitive functioning

Author(s)

Stough, Con;  King, Rebecca;  Papafotiou, Katherine;  Swann, Phillip;  Ogden, Edward;  Wesnes, Keith;  Downey, Luke A.

Abstract

Rationale: This study investigated the acute (3-h) and 24-h post-dose cognitive effects of oral 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), d-methamphetamine, and placebo in a within-subject double-blind laboratory-based study in order to compare the effect of these two commonly used illicit drugs on a large number of recreational drug users. Methods: Sixty-one abstinent recreational users of illicit drugs comprised the participant sample, with 33 females and 28 males, mean age 25.45 years. The three testing sessions involved oral consumption of 100 mg MDMA, 0.42 mg/kg d-methamphetamine, or a matching placebo. The drug administration was counter-balanced, double-blind, and medically supervised. Cognitive performance was assessed during drug peak (3 h) and at 24 h post-dosing time-points. Blood samples were also taken to quantify the levels of drug present at the cognitive testing time-points. Results: Blood concentrations of both methamphetamine and MDMA at drug peak samples were consistent with levels observed in previous studies. The major findings concern poorer performance in the MDMA condition at peak concentration for the trail-making measures and an index of working memory (trend level), and more accurate performance on a choice reaction task within the methamphetamine condition. Most of the differences in performance between the MDMA, methamphetamine, and placebo treatments diminished by the 24-h testing time-point, although some performance improvements subsisted for choice reaction time for the methamphetamine condition. Conclusions: Further research into the acute effects of amphetamine preparations is necessary to further quantify the acute disruption of aspects of human functioning crucial to complex activities such as attention, selective memory, and psychomotor performance.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Centre for Human Psychopharmacology

Source

Psychopharmacology, Vol. 220, no. 4 (Apr 2012), pp. 799-807

Publication year

2012

FOR Code(s)

11 Medical and Health Sciences;  17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences

Keyword(s)

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine;  Cognition;  Ecstasy;  MDMA;  Memory;  Methamphetamines;  Psychomotor skills

Publisher

Springer

ISSN

0033-3158

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2532-9

Copyright

Copyright © Springer-Verlag 2011.

Research Projects

Roadside saliva based testing for amphetamine-type stimulants in drivers: an evaluation of the relationship between positive drug tests and driving impairment after the consumption of methamphetamine and MDMA, Australian Research Council grant number DP0772762

Peer reviewed