MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) on tinnitus and neural connectivity.

A proof-of-principle study of the short-term effects of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) on tinnitus and neural connectivity.:

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A proof-of-principle study of the short-term effects of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) on tinnitus and neural connectivity.

Int J Neurosci. 2019 Dec 07;:1-20

Authors: Searchfield GD, Poppe TNER, Durai M, Jensen M, Kennedy MA, Maggo S, Miller AL, Park J, Russell BR, Shekhawat GS, Spiegel D, Sundram F, Wise K

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the short-term behavioral and neurophysiological effects of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) on tinnitus perception.

METHODS: A double-blind randomized controlled cross-over design. Part 1. Behavioural measures of tinnitus following 30 mg MDMA or placebo administration (N = 5 participants) and Part 2. Behavioral measures of tinnitus and correlations between pairs of apriori regions of interest (ROI) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) before and after 70 mg of MDMA or placebo (N = 8 participants).

RESULTS: The results to MDMA were similar to placebo. For the 70 mg dose there was a significant reduction after 4 hours in annoyance and ignore ratings. RsMRI showed decreased connectivity compared to placebo administration between the left hippocampal, right hippocampal, left amygdala and right amygdala regions, and between the right posterior parahippocampal cortex and the left amygdala after two hours of 70 mg MDMA administration. Increased connectivity compared to placebo administration was found post MDMA between the right post-central gyrus and right posterior and superior temporal gyrus, and between the thalamus and frontoparietal network.

CONCLUSIONS: Following 70 mg of MDMA two tinnitus rating scales significantly improved. There was, however, a placebo effect. Compared to placebo the rsMRI following the MDMA showed reductions in connectivity between the amygdala, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus. There is sufficient proof of concept to support future investigation of MDMA as a treatment for tinnitus.

PMID: 31814488 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]