MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy.It was popularized as an adjucant to talk therapy in the 1960s and 1970s by Dr. Alexander Shulgin. One primary effect of Ecstasy is diminution of inhibitions, rendering users extremely comfortable talking about themselves and others.
This drug works upon serotergic synapses by acting upon the SERT-1 transporter (the same target for Prozac - hence never mix the two drugs. Serotonergic neurons store serotonin (also known as 5HT) near the synapse and it is the role of the SERT-1 transporter to re-uptake 5HT from the synapse. MDMA when bound with SERT-1 causes this transporter to reverse its function and pump 5HT into the synapse. Numerous studies now show that pure MDMA acts only on the serotonergic system.
Potential theraputic uses of MDMA have been overshadowed by its popularity as a recreational drug and negative public perceptions fostered by anti-drug groups. Limited research continues, with University of Manchester researchers determining that MDMA dramatically reduces tremors in patients receiving L-DOPA treatment for Parkinson's Disease. Other researchers have implicated long-term MDMA use as a potential cause of Parkinson's Disease. Some of the research implicating MDMA with Parkinson's Disease has been debunked making this a controversial issue. The authors of the a report showing MDMA to cause onset of Parkinson's Disease retracted their work after it became apparent that they were using MTPT(1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine) not MDMA in their work. MTPT is well documented as being highly toxic to dopaminergic neurons, and is in fact used in animal models to induce a Parkinson's Disease.
Much remains unknown about the potential uses and effects of MDMA. The United States DEA's scheduling of MDMA as a Schedule I drug with no legitimate medical uses has severely hampered research, while some experts have recommended it be listed instead on Schedule III, a less severe classification which would allow for the possibility of medical applications. Approval has now (February 2005) been given for Harvard to use MDMA in therapy for people suffering from post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD).
