MAPS ' MDMA Investigator ' s Brochure Update # 2 A Review of Research in Humans and Non - Human Animals July 16 , 2004

Introduction The pharmacology and effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, " Ecstasy ") continue to be a topic of interest for medical and neuroscience researchers. Approximately 130 original research studies and one quantitative (meta-analytic) review of the nature and effects of MDMA have been published since the completion MAPS' second yearly review of the literature (Jerome and Baggott 2003). Published reports include trials of MDMA in humans, studies of Ecstasy users, studies in non-human animals (mostly rodents and non-human primates) and in vitro studies. The current review covers nearly all English-language original research papers appearing between January 2003 and late February to early March, 2004. As was the case with the earlier update, this review is chiefly concerned with studies relevant to estimating risks to human participants in trials of MDMA. This review does not cover studies of Ecstasy user demographics and studies in non-human animals relating to drug discrimination or pharmacology when it does not directly inform risk estimation in humans. Other recent reviews have tackled the pharmacological and neuropharmacological literature in non-human animals, either specifically (Cole and Sumnall 2003B) or in the context of a general review (Green et al 2003B), and those wishing to read more about pharmacology, acute behavioral effects of MDMA in rodents, or drug-discrimination studies may turn to these reviews. While most papers covered in this review were published between 2003 and 2004, I reviewed some papers that fell outside this time period. Exceptions to the March, 2004 cutoff date were made for clinical trials (Farre et al. 2004) and a few studies in Ecstasy users (Halpern et al. 2004; McCardle et al. 2004). In a very small percentage of papers, nearly all of them case reports, only the abstract could be located at the time of writing the review. Many of the research reports reviewed appeared in a single issue of Psychopharmacology specifically devoted to MDMA. While the issue appeared in print in 2004, a large number of papers were electronically published before then. Nearly all studies were located through the use of the PubMed database maintained by the National Institute of Health. This is a searchable database containing citations and abstracts of papers appearing in a large number of scientific journals. In some cases, researchers sent their work upon request, and in other cases, researchers informed me of the existence of specific papers. The first comprehensive literature review commissioned by MAPS was completed in …