Table 1.

Comparison of the acute effects of MDMA, methylphenidate, modafinil, and placebo (N = 24)

		Placebo	MDMA	Methylphenidate	Modafinil
		(mean ± SEM)	(mean ± SEM)	(mean ± SEM)	(mean ± SEM)	F 3.69	p=
Autonomic effects
Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)	E max	135 ± 3.0	152 ± 3.2***	145 ± 3.1***#	143 ± 3.4**##	20.41	<0.001
Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)	E max	78.8 ± 1.6	88.1 ± 1.8***	84.0 ± 1.8**#	85.7 ± 2.0***	13.24	<0.001
Heart rate (beats/min)	E max	73.1 ± 2.5	90.3 ± 3.0***	91.6 ± 3.6***	87.9 ± 3.5***	23.82	<0.001
Rate pressure product (beats·mmHg/min)	E max	9603 ± 383	13,377 ± 536***	12,985 ± 625***	12,273 ± 667***	26.15	<0.001
Body temperature (°C)	E max	37.3 ± 0.1	37.6 ± 0.1**	37.6 ± 0.1**	37.9 ± 0.1***	12.55	<0.001
Pupil size (mm)	E max	6.5 ± 0.1	7.4 ± 0.1***	6.7 ± 0.1**###	6.7 ± 0.2*###	76.11	<0.001
Pupil size after light stimulus (mm)	E max	4.7 ± 0.1	6.4 ± 0.2***	4.8 ± 0.1###	4.8 ± 0.1###	148.78	<0.001
Constriction amplitude (mm)	E min	1.8 ± 0.1	0.86 ± 0.10***	1.8 ± 0.1###	1.7 ± 0.1###	34.47	<0.001
Subjective effects
Visual Analog Scale (VAS, %max)
Any drug effect	ΔEmax	10.0 ± 2.4	75.3 ± 5.1***	32.8 ± 6.8*###	23.7 ± 5.2###	45.51	<0.001
Good drug effect	ΔEmax	7.5 ± 2.5	73.2 ± 5.3***	35.5 ± 7.7**###	23.9 ± 5.4###	45.68	<0.001
Bad drug effect	ΔEmax	4.2 ± 3.3	12.7 ± 3.5	11.5 ± 4.5	10.3 ± 4.9	10.49	NS
Drug liking	ΔEmax	9.4 ± 3.0	75.5 ± 5.5***	36.3 ± 8.2*###	24.8 ± 5.4###	40.9	<0.001
Happy	ΔEmax	2.7 ± 1.2	31.0 ± 3.6***	10.8 ± 3.6##	8.1 ± 2.4###	41.06	<0.001
Concentration	ΔEmax	−6.5 ± 1.5	−29.3 ± 3.4	−11.6 ± 3.6	−13.3 ± 3.6	9.56	NS
Open	ΔEmax	2.4 ± 1.0	19.6 ± 3.7**	11.2 ± 3.5*	9.5 ± 2.9	20.08	<0.01
Trust	ΔEmax	1.5 ± 0.9	24.5 ± 4.1**	8.0 ± 3.0##	8.6 ± 3.7#	24.85	<0.001
Feeling close to others	ΔEmax	1.1 ± 0.8	18.5 ± 3.8**	9.7 ± 2.6*#	5.7 ± 2.1#	24.79	<0.001
I want to be with other people	ΔEmax	3.1 ± 1.9	21.0 ± 4.3***	10.1 ± 3.5#	9.9 ± 3.8#	18.46	<0.01
I want to hug someone	ΔEmax	0.6 ± 0.6	15.1 ± 3.6*	7.0 ± 3.3	3.3 ± 2.3#	23.13	<0.001
Adjective Mood Rating Scale (AMRS score)
Well-being	ΔEmax	0.04 ± 0.37	5.8 ± 1.0***	2.5 ± 0.7#	1.3 ± 0.7##	14.52	<0.001
Emotional excitation	ΔEmax	−0.13 ± 0.56	3.0 ± 0.9*	2.6 ± 0.8	1.2 ± 0.7	4.91	<0.05
Activity	ΔEmax	0.79 ± 0.45	2.0 ± 0.6	2.5 ± 0.5	0.50 ± 0.4	3.23	NS
Extroversion	ΔEmax	0.0 ± 0.4	2.3 ± 0.6**	1.3 ± 0.5	1.36 ± 0.5	5.25	<0.05
Introversion	ΔEmax	0.50 ± 0.29	2.4 ± 0.5*	1.3 ± 0.4	0.9 ± 0.4	4.36	<0.05
Concentration	ΔEmax	0.3 ± 0.32	0.46 ± 0.46	1.13 ± 0.42	−0.33 ± 0.25	3.05	NS
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state anxiety score)
	E max	36.6 ± 1.0	37.6 ± 1.4	42.0 ± 1.8*	39.5 ± 1.6	3.25	<0.05
	E min	32.8 ± 0.9	29.0 ± 1***	34.5 ± 1.0###	32.5 ± 1.2#	6.58	<0.001
Sexual Arousal and Desire Inventory
Evaluative		1.4 ± 1.3	19.5 ± 4.3***	6.5 ± 3.4#	8.4 ± 3.6#	6.98	<0.001
Negative/Aversive		0.04 ± 1.3	−0.09 ± 1.5	0.3 ± 1.4	4.9 ± 2.6	1.88	NS
Physiological		1.6 ± 0.9	13.2 ± 2.4***	6.6 ± 2.4#	5.0 ± 2.2##	8.03	<0.001
Motivational		0.4 ± 0.6	4.8 ± 1.5*	1.1 ± 1.2	2.5 ± 1.4	3.22	<0.05
Hormones
Cortisol (nmol/L)	E max	630 ± 53.5	942 ± 41.5***	648 ± 37.7**###	653 ± 40.5###	35.55	<0.001
Prolactin (mU/L)	E max	334 ± 32.7	1086 ± 143***	295 ± 30.9###	288 ± 24.0###	30.46	<0.001
Oxytocin (pg/mL)	E max	5.0 ± 1.5	58.7 ± 7.9***	6.3 ± 1.3###	4.29 ± 0.87###	44.90	<0.001
Vasopressin (pg/mL)	E max	4.1 ± 0.3	4.4 ± 0.5	4.23 ± 0.67	3.44 ± 0.27	2.15	NS

VAS and AMRS P values were Bonferroni adjusted values considering the multiple subscales used (11 and 6 for the VAS and AMRS, respectively)

NS not significant, Emax maximal effect, ΔEmax maximal difference from baseline

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 compared with placebo; #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01, ###p < 0.001 compared with MDMA