Hallucinogenic trips and addictive rushes of euphoria might be the first effects that come to mind when you think of MDMA. But the illicit party drug also has a potent effect on sociability, making users feel more connected to the people around them. And that's prompted research to study whether this MDMA benefit could help patients with PTSD, major depression and autism.
But is it possible for patients to solely reap MDMA’s social rewards? Researchers from Stanford University say they’ve identified separate brain pathways that activate addiction and social behavior. The finding suggests an altered form of the drug might one day give users a social boost without the risk of addiction.
In a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, the Stanford team looked at the effects of MDMA in mouse brains, identifying key areas where pathways lit up during MDMA use. The findings suggest that an altered form of the drug could one day give human patients the ability to treat social conditions, without dangerous side effects.
