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fNIRS suggests increased effort during executive access in ecstasy polydrug users

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Abstract

Background

Ecstasy use is associated with cognitive impairment, believed to result from damage to 5-HT axons. Neuroimaging techniques to investigate executive dysfunction in ecstasy users provide a more sensitive measure of cognitive impairment than behavioural indicators. The present study assessed executive access to semantic memory in ecstasy polydrug users and non-users.

Methods

Twenty ecstasy polydrug users and 20 non-user controls completed an oral variant of the Chicago Word Fluency Test (CWFT), whilst the haemodynamic response to the task was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Results

There were no between-group differences in many background measures including measures of sleep and mood state (anxiety, arousal, hedonic tone). No behavioural differences were observed on the CWFT. However, there were significant differences in oxy-Hb level change at several voxels relating to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the CWFT, indicating increased cognitive effort in ecstasy users relative to controls. Regression analyses showed that frequency of ecstasy use, total lifetime dose and amount used in the last 30 days was significant predictors of oxy-Hb increase at several voxels after controlling for alcohol and cannabis use indices.

Conclusion

The results suggest that ecstasy users show increased activation in the PFC as a compensatory mechanism, to achieve equivalent performance to non-users. These findings are in agreement with much of the literature in the area which suggests that ecstasy may be a selective serotonin neurotoxin in humans.

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Notes

  1. Due to small amounts of missing data on different optodes, MANOVA was not appropriate for this analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, LJMU, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

    C. A. Roberts & C. Montgomery

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  1. C. A. Roberts
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  2. C. Montgomery
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Correspondence to C. Montgomery.

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Roberts, C.A., Montgomery, C. fNIRS suggests increased effort during executive access in ecstasy polydrug users. Psychopharmacology 232, 1571–1582 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3795-8

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