Skip to content
Get in touch

Research › QEEG, Methods & Mechanisms

Localization of MDMA-induced brain activity in healthy volunteers using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA)

Share

Suggested message

Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: Localization of MDMA-induced brain activity in healthy volunteers using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA).

Facebook LinkedIn Email

Facebook doesn't let websites fill in your post. Use Copy message, then paste it in.

Study at a glance

Area
QEEG, Methods & Mechanisms
Study type
Controlled study
Authors
Frei E, Gamma A, Pascual-Marqui R, Lehmann D, Hell D, Vollenweider FX
Journal
Human Brain Mapping
Year
2001
Participants
16
Population
Adults
Protocol
31-channel resting EEG, LORETA source localization

Key findings

  • Widespread decrease in slow and medium frequencies and increase in fast frequencies
  • Fast-activity increases localized to anterior temporal and posterior orbital cortex
  • EEG pattern suggests serotonin and noradrenaline, and to a lesser degree dopamine, drive the effects

DOI 10.1002/hbm.1049 → PubMed 11559960 →

A placebo-controlled EEG study of a single dose of MDMA ('ecstasy') in healthy volunteers who had never used it, using LORETA to locate the changes in three dimensions. MDMA shifted the EEG away from slow activity towards fast activity in anterior temporal and orbitofrontal areas, alongside raised mood and extraversion. It is an early example of LORETA linking a drug's effects to specific brain regions.