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Alterations to global but not local motion processing in long-term ecstasy (MDMA) users

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Abstract

Rationale

Growing evidence indicates that the main psychoactive ingredient in the illegal drug “ecstasy” (methylendioxymethamphetamine) causes reduced activity in the serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems in humans. On the basis of substantial serotonin input to the occipital lobe, recent research investigated visual processing in long-term users and found a larger magnitude of the tilt aftereffect, interpreted to reflect broadened orientation tuning bandwidths. Further research found higher orientation discrimination thresholds and reduced long-range interactions in the primary visual area of ecstasy users.

Objectives

The aim of the present research was to investigate whether serotonin-mediated V1 visual processing deficits in ecstasy users extend to motion processing mechanisms.

Method

Forty-five participants (21 controls, 24 drug users) completed two psychophysical studies: A direction discrimination study directly measured local motion processing in V1, while a motion coherence task tested global motion processing in area V5/MT.

Results

“Primary” ecstasy users (n = 18), those without substantial polydrug use, had significantly lower global motion thresholds than controls [p = 0.027, Cohen’s d = 0.78 (large)], indicating increased sensitivity to global motion stimuli, but no difference in local motion processing (p = 0.365).

Conclusion

These results extend on previous research investigating the long-term effects of illicit drugs on visual processing. Two possible explanations are explored: defuse attentional processes may be facilitating spatial pooling of motion signals in users. Alternatively, it may be that a GABA-mediated disruption to V5/MT processing is reducing spatial suppression and therefore improving global motion perception in ecstasy users.

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Acknowledgments

This study was aided by an Australian Postgraduate Award to Claire White.

The authors have full control of the primary data and agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested. The experiments comply with the current laws in the country in which they were performed.

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  1. Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Building 39, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Claire White, John Brown & Mark Edwards

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  1. Claire White
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Correspondence to Claire White.

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White, C., Brown, J. & Edwards, M. Alterations to global but not local motion processing in long-term ecstasy (MDMA) users. Psychopharmacology 231, 2611–2622 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3431-7

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