A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by repetitive behaviours, cognitive rigidity/inflexibility, and social-affective impairment. Unfortunately, no gold-standard treatments exist to alleviate the core socio-behavioural impairments of ASD. Meanwhil...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD
2021
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/87165 |
| _version_ | 1848764901921652736 |
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| author | Chaliha, D. Mamo, John Albrecht, Matthew Lam, Virginie Takechi, Ryu Vaccarezza, Mauro |
| author_facet | Chaliha, D. Mamo, John Albrecht, Matthew Lam, Virginie Takechi, Ryu Vaccarezza, Mauro |
| author_sort | Chaliha, D. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by repetitive behaviours, cognitive rigidity/inflexibility, and social-affective impairment. Unfortunately, no gold-standard treatments exist to alleviate the core socio-behavioural impairments of ASD. Meanwhile, the prosocial empathogen/entactogen 3,4-methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is known to enhance sociability and empathy in both humans and animal models of psychological disorders. Objective: We review the evidence obtained from behavioural tests across the current literature, showing how MDMA can induce prosocial effects in animals and humans, where controlled experiments were able to be performed. Methods: Six electronic databases were consulted. The search strategy was tailored to each database. Only English-language papers were reviewed. Behaviours not screened in this review may have affected the core ASD behaviours studied. Molecular analogues of MDMA have not been investigated. Results: We find that the social impairments may potentially be alleviated by postnatal administration of MDMA producing prosocial behaviours in mostly the animal model. Conclusion: MDMA and/or MDMA-like molecules appear to be an effective pharmacological treatment for the social impairments of autism, at least in animal models. Notably, clinical trials based on MDMA use are now in progress. Nevertheless, larger and more extended clinical studies are warranted to prove the assumption that MDMA and MDMA-like molecules have a role in the management of the social impairments of autism. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:26:43Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-87165 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:26:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-871652022-01-12T01:14:23Z A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism Chaliha, D. Mamo, John Albrecht, Matthew Lam, Virginie Takechi, Ryu Vaccarezza, Mauro Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Pharmacology & Pharmacy Neurosciences & Neurology 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine animal autism spectrum disorder human MDMA social behavior RECEPTOR GENE OXTR CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE ANXIOGENIC-LIKE ACTIVITY HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM ELEVATED PLUS-MAZE LONG-TERM CHANGES 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE MDMA SPECTRUM DISORDERS INCREASED ANXIETY ECSTASY MDMA Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by repetitive behaviours, cognitive rigidity/inflexibility, and social-affective impairment. Unfortunately, no gold-standard treatments exist to alleviate the core socio-behavioural impairments of ASD. Meanwhile, the prosocial empathogen/entactogen 3,4-methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is known to enhance sociability and empathy in both humans and animal models of psychological disorders. Objective: We review the evidence obtained from behavioural tests across the current literature, showing how MDMA can induce prosocial effects in animals and humans, where controlled experiments were able to be performed. Methods: Six electronic databases were consulted. The search strategy was tailored to each database. Only English-language papers were reviewed. Behaviours not screened in this review may have affected the core ASD behaviours studied. Molecular analogues of MDMA have not been investigated. Results: We find that the social impairments may potentially be alleviated by postnatal administration of MDMA producing prosocial behaviours in mostly the animal model. Conclusion: MDMA and/or MDMA-like molecules appear to be an effective pharmacological treatment for the social impairments of autism, at least in animal models. Notably, clinical trials based on MDMA use are now in progress. Nevertheless, larger and more extended clinical studies are warranted to prove the assumption that MDMA and MDMA-like molecules have a role in the management of the social impairments of autism. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/87165 10.2174/1570159X19666210101130258 English BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD restricted |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Pharmacology & Pharmacy Neurosciences & Neurology 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine animal autism spectrum disorder human MDMA social behavior RECEPTOR GENE OXTR CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE ANXIOGENIC-LIKE ACTIVITY HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM ELEVATED PLUS-MAZE LONG-TERM CHANGES 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE MDMA SPECTRUM DISORDERS INCREASED ANXIETY ECSTASY MDMA Chaliha, D. Mamo, John Albrecht, Matthew Lam, Virginie Takechi, Ryu Vaccarezza, Mauro A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title | A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title_full | A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title_fullStr | A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title_short | A systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| title_sort | systematic review of the mdma model to address social impairment in autism |
| topic | Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Neurosciences Pharmacology & Pharmacy Neurosciences & Neurology 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine animal autism spectrum disorder human MDMA social behavior RECEPTOR GENE OXTR CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE ANXIOGENIC-LIKE ACTIVITY HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISM ELEVATED PLUS-MAZE LONG-TERM CHANGES 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE MDMA SPECTRUM DISORDERS INCREASED ANXIETY ECSTASY MDMA |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/87165 |