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Acute effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and R(-) MDMA on actigraphy-based daytime activity and

Laís F Berro1, Hannah Shields1, Melis Odabas-Geldiay1

  • 1Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
|June 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impacts sleep-wake cycles. Racemic MDMA disrupts sleep via dopaminergic pathways, while R(-) MDMA improves sleep quality, suggesting distinct mechanisms influence these effects.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) influences monoaminergic systems crucial for sleep-wake regulation.
  • Dopaminergic pathways are implicated in stimulant-induced sleep disruption, but MDMA's precise mechanisms and its stereoisomer's effects are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of racemic MDMA and its stereoisomer, R(-) MDMA, on daytime activity and sleep parameters in rhesus macaques.
  • To differentiate the roles of dopaminergic and other monoaminergic pathways in MDMA's effects on sleep-wake cycles.

Main Methods:

  • Actigraphy was used to monitor daytime activity and sleep-like parameters in six adult rhesus macaques.
  • Animals received acute intramuscular injections of saline, racemic MDMA, or R(-) MDMA at varying doses (0.3, 1.0, 1.7 mg/kg) in the morning or afternoon.

Main Results:

  • Afternoon racemic MDMA increased sleep latency but improved wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency in some subjects.
  • Afternoon R(-) MDMA enhanced sleep efficiency and reduced sleep latency and WASO, without affecting daytime activity.
  • Morning treatments showed no significant effects on sleep parameters.

Conclusions:

  • The stimulant and sleep-disrupting effects of racemic MDMA are likely mediated by dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems.
  • Serotonergic pathways appear to mediate the sleep-promoting effects observed with MDMA.
  • R(-) MDMA's sleep-enhancing effects suggest a dissociation between dopaminergic and sleep-regulatory actions.

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