Interpersonal Functioning & Social ConnectednessMDMA

MDMA as a Probe and Treatment for Social Behaviors

This commentary (2016) reviews the history of MDMA and argues for the further exploration of MDMA's mechanism of action.

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Authors

  • Boris Heifets

Published

Cell
meta Study

Abstract

MDMA, better known as the recreational drug “ecstasy,” is well known for stimulating a feeling of closeness and empathy in its users. We advocate that exploring its mechanism of action could lead to new treatments for psychiatric conditions characterized by impairments in social behavior.

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Research Summary of 'MDMA as a Probe and Treatment for Social Behaviors'

Editorial

βBlossom's Take

This commentary is useful because it frames MDMA as both a probe of social behaviour and a candidate adjunct to treatment, which is a more disciplined claim than treating its sociability effects as self-explanatory. It is not evidence on its own, but it helps organise the mechanistic questions that later social and psychotherapy studies need to answer.

Study Details

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