ABSTRACT
Dysfunction of central serotonergic activity has been assumed in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) characterized by a prominent impulsive behavioral style. Following the high serotonergic innervation of the primary auditory cortex, there is increasing evidence of the intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials (AEP), especially the N1/P2 component, indicating serotonergic neurotransmission in animals and humans. 15 females who met the IPDE-criteria for BPD and a group of comparative healthy females (controls) completed extensive personality questionnaires which gave special regard to impulsiveness. We obtained event-related AEP through the application of various loudness stimuli. We examined the relevant N1/P2 amplitude of the tangential dipole of the auditory evoked response using dipole source analysis. The augmentation of the N1/P2 amplitude of tangential dipole source activity with rising stimulus intensity was significantly pronounced in BPD as opposed to controls, accompanied by a reduction in N1 and P2 latencies. The strong loudness dependency of AEP correlated with aspects of impulsiveness. These data imply reduced inhibiting control over cortical sensory processing in BPD. Our findings contribute a further argument to the hypothesis of low serotonergic neurotransmission in BDP and may point to a trait character of impulsiveness in this personality disorder.
Subject(s)
Borderline Personality Disorder/physiopathology , Evoked Potentials, Auditory/physiology , Loudness Perception/physiology , Serotonin/physiology , Synaptic Transmission/physiology , Acoustic Stimulation , Adolescent , Adult , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Female , Humans , Personality Inventory , Psychometrics/methods , Reaction TimeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate neuroendocrine function in ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine = MDMA) users and controls. METHODS: Prolactin response to d-fenfluramine was assessed in abstinent ecstasy users with concomitant use of cannabis only (n = 24, male/female 13/11) and in two control groups: healthy nonusers (n = 13, female) and exclusive cannabis users (n = 7, male). RESULTS: Prolactin response to d-fenfluramine was slightly blunted in female ecstasy users. Both male user samples exhibited a weak prolactin response to d-fenfluramine, but this was weaker in the group of cannabis users. Baseline prolactin and prolactin response to d-fenfluramine were associated with the extent of previous cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: Endocrinological abnormalities of ecstasy users may be closely related to their coincident cannabis use. Cannabis use may be an important confound in endocrinological studies of ecstasy users and should be looked for more systematically in future studies.
Subject(s)
Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors/adverse effects , Cannabis/adverse effects , Illicit Drugs/adverse effects , N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/adverse effects , Neurosecretory Systems/abnormalities , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Female , Fenfluramine/administration & dosage , Fenfluramine/blood , Humans , Male , Prolactin/metabolism , Serotonin Agents/administration & dosage , Serotonin Agents/blood , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The popular recreational drug Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, and related congeners) is neurotoxic upon central serotonergic systems in animal studies. So far, the most convincing evidence for neurotoxicity-related functional deficits in humans derives from neurocognitive studies demonstrating dose-related memory problems in Ecstasy users. The aim of the current investigation was to study the relationship between the psychological profile of recreational Ecstasy users and the patterns of their drug use. Twenty-eight abstinent recreational Ecstasy users with concomitant use of cannabis only and two equally sized, matched groups of cannabis users and non-users were administered standardized self-rating scales for the assessment of psychological problems which are thought to be related to central serotonergic function. Ecstasy users had elevated scores on subscales measuring impulsiveness, anxiety, sensation seeking, somatic complaints, obsessive-compulsive behavior and psychoticism. Higher scores were associated with both heavier Ecstasy and heavier cannabis use. After controlling for cannabis use, most group differences in psychometric scores no longer achieved statistical significance. The present data are in line with other reports demonstrating a broad range of psychological problems in Ecstasy users. However, the concomitant use of other drugs, specifically cannabis, seems to be crucial in this respect. Therefore, compared with cognitive deficits, psychological problems appear to be less suitable functional indices of Ecstasy-related neurotoxic damage of central serotonergic systems in humans. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
