Developmental Psychobiology
January 1, 2005
Brian J. Piper, Joseph B. Fraiman, Jerrold S. Meyer
71 citations
Repeated exposure to a moderate dose of MDMA during adolescence in male rats caused acute effects such as hypothermia, serotonin syndrome behavior, and ejaculation, and slowed body weight gain. Later, after the drug was stopped, the animals showed altered habituation to an open field, increased activity in an elevated plus maze, reduced attention in a novel object recognition test, and decreased serotonin transporter binding in the neocortex. These results indicate that even a moderate MDMA regimen during adolescence can produce lasting behavioral and neurochemical changes.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
October 21, 2006
Brian J. Piper
54 citations
The recreational drug MDMA (ecstasy) is used by college, high school, and occasionally middle school students. Preclinical research has mostly studied adults, but interest is growing in adolescent and in-utero exposure. This review examines MDMA's acute and long-term effects across perinatal, adolescent, and adult periods. The drug's ability to alter body temperature develops gradually with age, while weight reduction occurs at all ages. Learning and working memory are impaired regardless of when exposure happens. Adults appear more sensitive to long-term serotonin depletion, but younger ages show substantial and rapid neuroplasticity. Sex differences appear in acute hyperthermia and motor effects, with pubescent males especially susceptible.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
October 1, 2008
Jerrold S. Meyer, Brian J. Piper, Valerie E. Vancollie
44 citations
Intermittent, moderate doses of MDMA given to adolescent rats, mimicking human weekend use, cause lasting memory deficits, increased impulsivity, and reduced sensitivity to a serotonin receptor challenge. Serotonin transporter fiber density decreased in the hippocampus but not the neocortex, indicating the hippocampus may be especially vulnerable. Treated animals also developed tolerance to a later MDMA binge, showing protection against neurotoxic and depressant effects. Plasma MDMA levels in the rats were comparable to those in heavy human ecstasy users when accounting for species differences in drug clearance.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
August 1, 2006
Jerrold S. Meyer, Matthew E. Brevard, Brian J. Piper et al.
40 citations
A recreational dose of MDMA (1 mg/kg) activates multiple brain regions in marmoset monkeys, including the midbrain raphe nuclei, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and the corticostriatal circuit (dorsal thalamus, sensory motor cortex, and basal ganglia). MDMA also activates the primary visual cortex and enhances the visual cortical response to light. The onset of brain activation matches the rise in plasma MDMA levels. A second study found that both low (4 × 1 mg/kg oral) and high (4 × 10 mg/kg intramuscular) MDMA doses reduce the NAA/creatine ratio in the hypothalamus, indicating vulnerability to damage. High doses also cause prolonged hyperthermia and reductions in serotonin and serotonin transporters in several brain areas, suggesting even recreational doses may have adverse consequences.
medRxiv Preprint Server
April 23, 2022
Alexia G. Aguilar, Burke A. Beauregard, Christopher P. Conroy et al.
2 citations
preprint
Ketamine and esketamine effectively treat treatment-resistant depression without the therapeutic delay typical of other antidepressants and do not increase suicidal thoughts or behaviors in adolescents and young adults. Esketamine received FDA approval in March 2019.
Developmental Psychobiology
July 1, 2014
Brian J. Piper, Christina S. Henderson, Jerrold S. Meyer
2 citations
In female rats, prior intermittent exposure to MDMA (ecstasy) prevented the drop in serotonin transporter binding and the body temperature disruption normally caused by a later high-dose MDMA binge. Unlike males, female rats did not show reduced motor activity after the binge. The findings indicate that while females and males respond differently to an MDMA binge, both sexes exhibit a preconditioning effect from earlier MDMA exposure that protects against some of the binge's harmful effects.