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MDMA does not alter responses to the Trier Social Stress Test in humans

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Abstract

Rationale

±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) is a stimulant-psychedelic drug with unique social effects. It may dampen reactivity to negative social stimuli such as social threat and rejection. Perhaps because of these effects, MDMA has shown promise as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the effect of single doses of MDMA on responses to an acute psychosocial stressor has not been tested.

Objectives

In this study, we sought to test the effects of MDMA on responses to stress in healthy adults using a public speaking task. We hypothesized that the drug would reduce responses to the stressful task.

Methods

Volunteers (N = 39) were randomly assigned to receive placebo (N = 13), 0.5 mg/kg MDMA (N = 13), or 1.0 mg/kg MDMA (N = 13) during a stress and a no-stress session. Dependent measures included subjective reports of drug effects and emotional responses to the task, as well as salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Results

The stress task produced its expected increase in physiological responses (cortisol, heart rate) and subjective ratings of stress in all three groups, and MDMA produced its expected subjective and physiological effects. MDMA alone increased ratings of subjective stress, heart rate, and saliva cortisol concentrations, but contrary to our hypothesis, it did not moderate responses to the Trier Social Stress Test.

Conclusions

Despite its efficacy in PTSD and anxiety, MDMA did not reduce either the subjective or objective responses to stress in this controlled study. The conditions under which MDMA relieves responses to negative events or memories remain to be determined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Anya K. Bershad & Melissa A. Miller

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC3077, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Anya K. Bershad & Harriet de Wit

Authors
  1. Anya K. Bershad
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  2. Melissa A. Miller
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  3. Harriet de Wit
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harriet de Wit.

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Funding

This research was supported by DA02812. M.A.M was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health training grant (T32 MH020065) and A.K.B. was supported by a training grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32 GM007281).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Bershad, A.K., Miller, M.A. & de Wit, H. MDMA does not alter responses to the Trier Social Stress Test in humans. Psychopharmacology 234, 2159–2166 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4621-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4621-x

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