BACKGROUND: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a popular recreational drug of abuse and a selective brain serotonin neurotoxin. Functional consequences of MDMA neurotoxicity have defied ready characterization. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common form of sleep-disordered breathing in which brain serotonin dysfunction may play a role. The present study sought to determine whether abstinent recreational MDMA users have an increased prevalence of OSA. METHODS: We studied 71 medically healthy recreational MDMA users and 62 control subjects using all-night sleep polysomnography in a controlled inpatient research setting. Rates of apneas, hypopneas, and apnea hypopnea indices were compared in the 2 groups, controlling for body mass index, age, race, and gender. RESULTS: Recreational MDMA users who had been drug free for at least 2 weeks had significantly increased rates of obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea compared with controls. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for sleep apnea (mild, moderate, and severe combined) in MDMA users during non-REM sleep was 8.5 (2.4-30.4), which was greater than that associated with obesity [6.9 (1.7-28.2)]. Severity of OSA was significantly related to lifetime MDMA exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prior recreational methylenedioxymethamphetamine use increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea and lend support to the notion that brain serotonin neuronal dysfunction plays a role in the pathophysiology of sleep apnea.
BACKGROUND:Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a popular recreational drug of abuse and a selective brain serotonin neurotoxin. Functional consequences of MDMA neurotoxicity have defied ready characterization. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common form of sleep-disordered breathing in which brain serotonin dysfunction may play a role. The present study sought to determine whether abstinent recreational MDMA users have an increased prevalence of OSA. METHODS: We studied 71 medically healthy recreational MDMA users and 62 control subjects using all-night sleep polysomnography in a controlled inpatient research setting. Rates of apneas, hypopneas, and apnea hypopnea indices were compared in the 2 groups, controlling for body mass index, age, race, and gender. RESULTS: Recreational MDMA users who had been drug free for at least 2 weeks had significantly increased rates of obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea compared with controls. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for sleep apnea (mild, moderate, and severe combined) in MDMA users during non-REM sleep was 8.5 (2.4-30.4), which was greater than that associated with obesity [6.9 (1.7-28.2)]. Severity of OSA was significantly related to lifetime MDMA exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prior recreational methylenedioxymethamphetamine use increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea and lend support to the notion that brain serotoninneuronal dysfunction plays a role in the pathophysiology of sleep apnea.
Authors: Nathaniel S Marshall; Keith K H Wong; Peter Y Liu; Stewart R J Cullen; Matthew W Knuiman; Ronald R Grunstein Journal: Sleep Date: 2008-08 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Virend K Somers; David P White; Raouf Amin; William T Abraham; Fernando Costa; Antonio Culebras; Stephen Daniels; John S Floras; Carl E Hunt; Lyle J Olson; Thomas G Pickering; Richard Russell; Mary Woo; Terry Young Journal: Circulation Date: 2008-08-25 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: G Gerra; A Zaimovic; M Ferri; U Zambelli; M Timpano; E Neri; G F Marzocchi; R Delsignore; F Brambilla Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2000-01-15 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: A Richard Green; Annis O Mechan; J Martin Elliott; Esther O'Shea; M Isabel Colado Journal: Pharmacol Rev Date: 2003-07-17 Impact factor: 25.468
Authors: Maartje M L de Win; Gerry Jager; Jan Booij; Liesbeth Reneman; Thelma Schilt; Cristina Lavini; Sílvia D Olabarriaga; Gerard J den Heeten; Wim van den Brink Journal: Brain Date: 2008-10-07 Impact factor: 13.501
Authors: Christina R Di Iorio; Tristan J Watkins; Mary S Dietrich; Aize Cao; Jennifer U Blackford; Baxter Rogers; Mohammed S Ansari; Ronald M Baldwin; Rui Li; Robert M Kessler; Ronald M Salomon; Margaret Benningfield; Ronald L Cowan Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2011-12-05
Authors: Lynn T Singer; Derek G Moore; Sarah Fulton; Julia Goodwin; John J D Turner; Meeyoung O Min; Andrew C Parrott Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2012-03-03 Impact factor: 3.763
Authors: Una D McCann; Robert R Edwards; Michael T Smith; Kristen Kelley; Michael Wilson; Francis Sgambati; George Ricaurte Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2011-05-21 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Amy L Bauernfeind; Mary S Dietrich; Jennifer U Blackford; Evonne J Charboneau; James G Lillevig; Christopher J Cannistraci; Neil D Woodward; Aize Cao; Tristan Watkins; Christina R Di Iorio; Carissa Cascio; Ronald M Salomon; Ronald L Cowan Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2011-02-16 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: John J D Turner; Andrew C Parrott; Julia Goodwin; Derek G Moore; Sarah Fulton; Meeyoung O Min; Lynn T Singer Journal: J Psychopharmacol Date: 2013-12-10 Impact factor: 4.153