Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T15:38:22.990Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Preliminary evidence of motor impairment among polysubstance 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine users with intact neuropsychological functioning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 August 2010

CHAD A. BOUSMAN ,
MARIANA CHERNER ,
KRISTEN T. EMORY ,
DANIEL BARRON ,
PATRICIA GREBENSTEIN ,
J. HAMPTON ATKINSON ,
ROBERT K. HEATON  and
IGOR GRANT
CHAD A. BOUSMAN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California
MARIANA CHERNER*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California
KRISTEN T. EMORY
Affiliation:
San Diego State University/ University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego, California
DANIEL BARRON
Affiliation:
HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California
PATRICIA GREBENSTEIN
Affiliation:
HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California
J. HAMPTON ATKINSON
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
ROBERT K. HEATON
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California
IGOR GRANT
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center, San Diego, California VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Mariana Cherner, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0847, La Jolla, CA 92093. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Neuropsychological disturbances have been reported in association with use of the recreational drug “ecstasy,” or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but findings have been inconsistent. We performed comprehensive neuropsychological testing examining seven ability domains in 21 MDMA users (MDMA+) and 21 matched control participants (MDMA−). Among MDMA+ participants, median [interquartile range] lifetime MDMA use was 186 [111, 516] doses, with 120 [35–365] days of abstinence. There were no significant group differences in neuropsychological performance, with the exception of the motor speed/dexterity domain in which 43% of MDMA+ were impaired compared with 5% of MDMA− participants (p = .004). Motor impairment differences were not explained by use of other substances and were unrelated to length of abstinence or lifetime number of MDMA doses. Findings provide limited evidence for neuropsychological differences between MDMA+ and MDMA− participants with the exception of motor impairments observed in the MDMA+ group. However, replication of this finding in a larger sample is warranted. (JINS, 2010, 16, 1047–1055.)

Keywords

EcstasyN-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamineNeurocognitiveNeurotoxicityStimulantHallucinogen
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , November 2010 , pp. 1047 - 1055
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV. Washington, DC: The American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Beck, A.T. (1972). Depression: Causes and treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.Google Scholar
Caligiuri, M.P., & Buitenhuys, C. (2005). Do preclinical findings of methamphetamine-induced motor abnormalities translate to an observable clinical phenotype? Neuropsychopharmacology, 30, 2125–2134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capela, J.P., Carmo, H., Remiao, F., Bastos, M.L., Meisel, A., & Carvalho, F. (2009). Molecular and cellular mechanisms of ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity: An overview. Molecular Neurobiology, 39, 210–271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carey, C.L., Woods, S.P., Gonzalez, R., Conover, E., Marcotte, T.D., Grant, I., et al. . (2004). Predictive validity of global deficit scores in detecting neuropsychological impairment in HIV infection. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 26, 307–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cherner, M., Masliah, E., Ellis, R.J., Marcotte, T.D., Moore, D.J., Grant, I., et al. . (2002). Neurocognitive dysfunction predicts postmortem findings of HIV encephalitis. Neurology, 59, 1563–1567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cherner, M., Suarez, P., Casey, C., Deiss, R., Letendre, S., Marcotte, T., et al. . (2010). Methamphetamine use parameters do not predict neuropsychological impairment in currently abstinent dependent adults. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 106, 154–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowan, R.L. (2007). Neuroimaging research in human MDMA users: A review. Psychopharmacology, 189, 539–556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Croft, R.J., Mackay, A.J., Mills, A.T., & Gruzelier, J.G. (2001). The relative contributions of ecstasy and cannabis to cognitive impairment. Psychopharmacology, 153, 373–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeVito, J.L., Anderson, M.E., & Walsh, K.E. (1980). A horseradish peroxidase study of afferent connections of the globus pallidus in macaca mulatta. Experimental Brain Research, 38, 65–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Golding, J.F., Groome, D.H., Rycroft, N., & Denton, Z. (2007). Cognitive performance in light current users and ex-users of ecstasy (MDMA) and controls. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 33, 301–307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haaland, K.Y., & Delaney, H.D. (1981). Motor deficits after left or right hemisphere damage due to stroke or tumor. Neuropsychologia, 19, 17–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanlon, C.A., Wesley, M.J., Roth, A.J., Miller, M.D., & Porrino, L.J. (2009). Loss of laterality in chronic cocaine users: An fMRI investigation of sensorimotor control. Psychiatry Research, 181, 15–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hanson, K.L., & Luciana, M. (2004). Neurocognitive function in users of MDMA: The importance of clinically significant patterns of use. Psychological Medicine, 34, 229–246.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanson, K.L., & Luciana, M. (2010). Neurocognitive impairments in MDMA and other drug users: MDMA alone may not be a cognitive risk factor. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32, 337–349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanson, K.L., Luciana, M., & Sullwold, K. (2008). Reward-related decision-making deficits and elevated impulsivity among MDMA and other drug users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 96, 99–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heaton, R.K., Grant, I., Butters, N., White, D.A., Kirson, D., Atkinson, J.H., et al. . (1995). The HNRC 500–neuropsychology of HIV infection at different disease stages. HIV neurobehavioral research center. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1, 231–251.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobs, B.L., & Fornal, C.A. (1997). Serotonin and motor activity. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 7, 820–825.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jovanovski, D., Erb, S., & Zakzanis, K.K. (2005). Neurocognitive deficits in cocaine users: A quantitative review of the evidence. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 27, 189–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karageorgiou, J., Dietrich, M.S., Charboneau, E.J., Woodward, N.D., Blackford, J.U., Salomon, R.M., et al. . (2009). Prior MDMA (ecstasy) use is associated with increased basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit activation during motor task performance in humans: An fMRI study. Neuroimage, 46, 817–826.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lavoie, B., & Parent, A. (1990). Immunohistochemical study of the serotoninergic innervation of the basal ganglia in the squirrel monkey. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 299, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manly, J.J., Jacobs, D.M., Touradji, P., Small, S.A., & Stern, Y. (2002). Reading level attenuates differences in neuropsychological test performance between African American and white elders. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 8, 341–348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masliah, E., Heaton, R.K., Marcotte, T.D., Ellis, R.J., Wiley, C.A., Mallory, M., et al. . (1997). Dendritic injury is a pathological substrate for human immunodeficiency virus-related cognitive disorders. HNRC group. the HIV neurobehavioral research center. Annals of Neurology, 42, 963–972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCann, U.D., Szabo, Z., Vranesic, M., Palermo, M., Mathews, W.B., Ravert, H.T., et al. . (2008). Positron emission tomographic studies of brain dopamine and serotonin transporters in abstinent (+/−)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“ecstasy”) users: Relationship to cognitive performance. Psychopharmacology, 200, 439–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McQuade, R., & Sharp, T. (1997). Functional mapping of dorsal and median raphe 5-hydroxytryptamine pathways in forebrain of the rat using microdialysis. Journal of Neurochemistry, 69, 791–796.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Obrocki, J., Schmoldt, A., Buchert, R., Andresen, B., Petersen, K., & Thomasius, R. (2002). Specific neurotoxicity of chronic use of ecstasy. Toxicology Letters, 127, 285–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parsons, O.A., & Nixon, S.J. (1998). Cognitive functioning in sober social drinkers: A review of the research since 1986. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 59, 180–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Purcell, R., Maruff, P., Kyrios, M., & Pantelis, C. (1997). Neuropsychological function in young patients with unipolar major depression. Psychological Medicine, 27, 1277–1285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogers, G., Elston, J., Garside, R., Roome, C., Taylor, R., Younger, P., et al. . (2009). The harmful health effects of recreational ecstasy: A systematic review of observational evidence. Health Technology Assessment, 13, iii–iv, ix–xii, 1–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schilt, T., de Win, M.M., Jager, G., Koeter, M.W., Ramsey, N.F., Schmand, B., et al. . (2008). Specific effects of ecstasy and other illicit drugs on cognition in poly-substance users. Psychological Medicine, 38, 1309–1317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schilt, T., de Win, M.M., Koeter, M., Jager, G., Korf, D.J., van den Brink, W., & Schmand, B. (2007). Cognition in novice ecstasy users with minimal exposure to other drugs: A prospective cohort study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64, 728–736.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scott, J.C., Woods, S.P., Matt, G.E., Meyer, R.A., Heaton, R.K., Atkinson, J.H., & Grant, I. (2007). Neurocognitive effects of methamphetamine: A critical review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology Review, 17, 275–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spitzer, R.L., Williams, J.B., Gibbon, M., & First, M.B. (1992). The structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). I: History, rationale, and description. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 624–629.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, M.A., & Molliver, M.E. (1991). The organization of serotonergic projections to cerebral cortex in primates: Regional distribution of axon terminals. Neuroscience, 44, 537–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed