Role of Serotonin in Acute and Subacute MDMA Effects

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00838305

Enrollment

Registered

2009-02-06

Start date

2009-02-28

Completion date

2011-08-31

Last updated

2013-05-31

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

MDMA Mechanism of Action

Keywords

MDMA, citalopram, serotonin, psychedelic

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of MDMA (particularly its emotional effects) and to determine the role of serotonin in these effects. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical that is released by some brain cells to communicate with other brain cells. Many of the effects of MDMA are thought to be the result of increased serotonin release. In order to understand the effects of MDMA and role of serotonin in these effects, we will administer MDMA alone and in combination with the antidepressant citalopram (one trade name for this is Celexa). Citalopram decreases the ability of MDMA to release serotonin. Citalopram will therefore decrease any of MDMA's effects that are the result of serotonin release; we want to measure this.

Interventions

DRUGMDMA and citalopram

MDMA 1.5 mg/kg and citalopram 20 mg

DRUGPlacebo

drug: placebo subjects also get citalopram and placebo in a 2x2 crossover design

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Healthy men or women aged 18 to 50 years * Experienced with MDMA

Exclusion criteria

* Significant physical or psychiatric illness which might impair the ability to safely complete the study or that might be complicated by the study drugs, including prior seizures (after age 8), history of major depression, or other active neurological disease or clinically significant abnormalities on physical examination or screening laboratory values

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
To determine if administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram decreases the subacute (post 24hr) discontinuation effects of MDMA in experienced MDMA users given a modest dose of MDMA	24 hours

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
To determine if administration of the SSRI citalopram decreases the acute (post 1 to 4hr) social and emotional and cognitive effects of MDMA	post 1-4 hours

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026