Persistent nigrostriatal dopaminergic abnormalities in ex-users of MDMA ('Ecstasy'): an 18F-dopa PET study.

Ecstasy (±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a popular recreational drug with known serotonergic neurotoxicity. Its long-term effects on dopaminergic function are less certain. Studying the long-term effects of ecstasy is often confounded by concomitant polydrug use and the short duration of abstinence.

Acute effects of alcohol on memory: impact of emotional context and serial position.

Although the amnestic effects of alcohol in humans are well known, its effects on emotional memory are unclear. In this study, using a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design, we examine narrative emotional episodic memory in healthy human female volunteers (n=32) who received either a single dose of alcohol (0.6g/kg), or a placebo and then viewed neutral story elements presented in either a neutral or emotional context.

Pharmacological manipulations of arousal and memory for emotional material: effects of a single dose of methylphenidate or lorazepam.

Benzodiazepines produce robust impairments of memory alongside global decreases in physiological and subjective arousal. Recently one benzodiazepine (triazolam) has been found to disproportionately impair memory for emotionally arousing material (Buchanan et al., 2003).

Drugs, sweat, and fears: a comparison of the effects of diazepam and methylphenidate on fear conditioning.

Rationale: Classical conditioning of a fear response involves the formation of an association between a stimulus and an emotional response and can be seen as a basic form of emotional memory. While both benzodiazepines and stimulant drugs may influence the formation of episodic memories for emotional events, their effects on fear conditioning are less clear.

Objectives: This study compared the effects of diazepam with methylphenidate on fear conditioning.