TABLE 3

Studies examining the effects of MDMA on spatial learning and memory

ArticleTaskaSubjectsbDoses/FrequencycTimelinedEffectse
Taghizadeh et al., 2016MWMRats (W), Adult, Male5, 10, or 15 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1/day, 4 daysAcquisition: On-Drug / Probe: PostdrugProbe: ↓
Mirzaei et al., 2013MWMRats (W), Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1 OR × 2/day, 7 daysAcquisition: PostdrugAcquisition: ⌀
Sprague et al., 2003MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male20 mg/kg (s.c.) × 2Acquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition: ⌀ / Probe: ↓
Cunningham et al., 2009MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male7.5 mg/kg (i.p.) × 4Acquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition: ⌀ / Probe: ↓
Able et al., 2006MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male15 mg/kg (s.c.) × 4Acquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition: ⌀ / Probe: ↓
Cohen et al., 2005MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male15 mg/kg (s.c.) × 4Acquisition/Probe: PostdrugProbe: ⌀
Skelton et al., 2008MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male15 mg/kg (s.c.) × 4 OR × 4/day, 1 day/wk, 5 wkAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition/Probe: ⌀
Camarasa et al., 2008MWMRats (LE), Adult, Male15 mg/kg (s.c.) × 2/day, 4 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition/Probe: ↓
Abad et al., 2014MWMRats (SD), Adol., Male20 mg/kg (s.c.) × 2/day, 4 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition: ↑ / Probe: ⌀
Busceti et al., 2008MWMMice (B6), Adult, Male5 or 15 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2/day, 6 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugAcquisition: ↓ / Probe: ↓ (7 days later; 40 days later - 15 mg/kg), ⌀ (40 days later - 5 mg/kg)
Kermanian et al., 2012MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male10 or 20 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1/day, 7 daysAcquisition: PostdrugAcquisition: ↓
Soleimani Asl et al., 2015MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male/Female5 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2/day, 7 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugProbe: ↓
Soleimani Asl et al., 2011MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male5, 10, or 20 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2/day, 7 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugProbe: ⌀
Soleimani Asl et al., 2013MWMRats (SD), Adult, Male5, 10, or 20 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2/day, 7 daysAcquisition/Probe: PostdrugProbe: ↓
Robinson et al., 1993MWM Var.Rats (SD), Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2/day, 4 daysTraining/Probe: Postdrug⌀
Galizio et al., 2014MWM Var.Rats (SD), Adult, Male0.3, 1, 1.7, 3, or 5.6 mg/kg (i.p.)*Training: Predrug / Acquisition: On-Drug⌀ (0.3, 1, and 1.7 mg/kg) ↓ (3 and 5.6 mg/kg)
Compton et al., 2011MMW Var.Rats (LE), Adol.→Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1/day, 6 days (spaced)Training/Acquisition: Postdrug↓
Edut et al., 2011MWM Var.Mice (ICR), Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1Acquisition: Postdrug⌀
Hernandez-Rabaza et al., 2010RAMRats (LE), Adol., Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2Training: Postdrug⌀
Ros-Simó et al., 2013RAMMice (CD1), Adol., Male20 mg/kg (i.p.) × 2Training: Predrug, Off-Drug2, Postdrug↓
Kay et al., 2010RAMRats (SD), Adult, Male0.75, 3, or 4 mg/kg (i.p.)*Training: Predrug, On-Drug⌀ (0.75 mg/kg), ↓ (3 and 4 mg/kg)
Kay et al., 2011RAMRats (SD), Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 4 AND 4 mg/kg (i.p.)*Training: Postdrug (10 mg/kg) and On-Drug (4 mg/kg)↓
Harper et al., 2013RAMRats (SD), Adult, Male10 mg/kg (i.p.) × 4 AND/OR 4 mg/kg (i.p.) × 1/wk, 6 wkTraining: Postdrug (10 mg/kg) and On-Drug (4 mg/kg)↓
Young et al., 2005SDRats (W), Adult, Male1.25, 2.25, or 5 mg/kg (i.p.)*Training: Predrug / Testing: On-Drug⌀

  • ↵a Studies used the Morris water maze (MWM), radial arm maze (RAM), and spatial discrimination (SD) tasks.

  • ↵b Species (strain), age, and sex of subjects. Strains include Long Evans (LE), Sprague-Dawley (SD), and Wistar (W) rats; and C57BL/6 (B6), CD1, and ICR mice.

  • ↵c Dose, route, and frequency of MDMA administration. Treatment days/weeks are consecutive unless noted as “spaced.”

  • ↵d When training and testing occurred in relation to drug treatment. Pre- and post-drug training/testing were always conducted off-drug.

  • ↵e Effects of drug treatment on spatial learning (MWM-Acquisition) and spatial reference memory (MWM-Probe, RAM, SD): ⌀ No Effect, ↓ Impairment, ↑ Enhancement.

  • ↵2 Off-drug training/testing took place immediately before drug administration on (last) day of treatment.

  • ↵* Within-subjects design (all animals were tested multiple times at each dose including saline).